Giannis Antetokounmpo admits it’s been a ‘difficult’ season for Bucks

During an interview with NBA reporter Sam Amick of The Athletic, Giannis Antetokounmpo admitted that it’s been a “difficult” season for the Milwaukee Bucks. 

The Bucks are 40-31. They are in fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings. 

Antetokounmpo and Co. are only 4-6 over their last 10 games. 

“Difficult season for us,” Antetokounmpo said. “A lot of injuries, trades. We’ve played great basketball at times. We’ve played bad basketball at times. But we’re still here, still standing. I feel like when we lock in as a team, and we go out there and we play together, and we play to win, and everybody does what it requires to win and they stay within their role, I think we’re a very good team. We’re a big team. We have big-time players who can close games. We have great, great role players — great role players, man. We have ballhandlers, people who can create their shots and create plays from starters and people off the bench.”

One of the top players in the NBA, Antetokounmpo is having another terrific season. The two-time MVP and one-time Finals MVP is averaging 30.2 points, 12.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists while shooting 60.0% from the field. 

“Listen, the MVP discussion is great,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’ve been in the MVP discussion, what, like the last seven years? Yeah, probably the last seven years — top three, top four, top three, top four. It’s good. It’s a great compliment. But at the end of the day, winning is a different feeling. I was able to live it once (with the 2021 title). Then I don’t know if people feel like it counts or it doesn’t count, or whatever it is, but winning is winning, so is the NBA Cup. It was like, wow, this feeling, man, it’s like — it’s better than intimacy (laughs).”

If the season ended today, the Bucks would face the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs. 

Indiana beat Milwaukee in the first round of last year’s playoffs in six games.