Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks are freshly removed from another tough early elimination in the NBA Playoffs. After winning the NBA Finals in 2021, many felt the Bucks were on track to become a dynasty, but that’s not what we’ve seen.
Instead, the Bucks reached the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 2022 but fired Mike Budenholzer after failing to get out of the first round in 2023. Now, coming off the same end result in Doc Rivers’ first season, the Bucks are once again disappointed with their results, even if they didn’t have Antetokoumpo for the entire playoff series against the Indiana Pacers.
Of course, not having your best players is undoubtedly a big deterrent to success, but Antetokounmpo had a fairly healthy season, playing in 73 out of a possible 82 regular season games. Yet, he was forced to nurse a strained left calf when it mattered most, and that weighs on Antetokounmpo’s mind.
He said he “wasn’t even close” to returning despite tirelessly trying to pass the Bucks’ health protocols for a safe return. Unfortunately for the two-time NBA MVP, this wasn’t the first time he was forced to miss postseason action with an injury. Last year, it was his back; this time, it was a knee. What will it be next year?
Antetokounmpo doesn’t even want to think about missing more time, so he’s considering making changes to his offseason approach. But he doesn’t know what that would look like quite yet.
“I don’t know. Maybe I do follow a different pattern. Maybe try different things. I don’t like the word ‘rest.’ Like, if I can play, I will play. If I cannot play, I can’t play.
“I’m for sure going to sit down and think about it, of how my summer is going to look like and how next year is going to look like.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo on his playing future
While he may not know what his plans are just yet, athletes often find a new workout regimen, diet to follow, or a radical way to rest and recover after their latest grueling match. Maybe that’s all Antetokoumpo needs too. Whatever it is, expect the Bucks superstar to return to Milwaukee with a better plan in 2024.
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