With a new-look lineup surrounding superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks head into the coming season bolstered by newfound confidence and a strong desire to move on from the disappointment of three consecutive first-round playoff series losses.
Key veteran cogs of the past have exited in Brook Lopez, Damian Lillard and Pat Connaughton, while blockbuster offseason free agent signing Myles Turner has entered the picture after helping to lead the Indiana Pacers to the NBA Finals last season.
The focus of the team will again be on franchise cornerstone Giannis Antetokounmpo, who enters his 13th season in the NBA, all with the Bucks, and remains among the league’s elite players. The “Greek Freak” is a two-time regular-season MVP and in 2021 devilvered the Bucks’ first league title in 50 years and just the second in franchise history.
“Giannis is one of the best players in the world. We think he’s the best player in the world,” General Manager Jon Horst said at the team’s media day at Fiserv Forum on Monday. “Every time you have a season with him, you think you have a chance to win.”
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‘A Dangerous Team’
Antetokounmpo, who has repeatedly expressed his desire to win another championship, whether with the Bucks or elsewhere, is expected to once again set the tone on both ends of the court.
“My confidence is at an all-time high right now. I feel really good about myself. I feel really good about the team,” Antetokounmpo said in a video call from his native Greece, where he remains while recovering from COVID. “We’re young and have energy. This is a team full of dogs and guys who know their role. I’m excited. A lot of people might not take us serious. But I think we’re a very dangerous team.”
Antetokounmpo is among the team’s oldest players at age 30, marking a dramatic difference from last season when the Bucks sported one of the league’s oldest rosters.
“We think we have at least three different (starting) lineups we can throw out on the floor, and all three are completely different,” head coach Doc Rivers said. “That’s what makes this so intriguing.”
The Bucks began training camp on Tuesday at Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin Sports Science Center in Milwaukee without Antetokounmpo, who is awaiting a negative COVID test result before being allowed to travel.
“I’m definitely disappointed, bummed out that I’m not able to be there with the team and get this ball rolling,” Antetokounmpo said. “As a leader, I don’t feel good about this, but this is life.”
Each season takes on more urgency with Antetokounmpo, and rumors swirled about the possibility that he would request a trade after the Pacers bounced the Bucks from the playoffs in the first round of the playoffs last season. He never asked to traded, and Antetokounmpo made it clear again on Monday that he wants to play for a franchise committed to regularly competing for an NBA crown.
“I think it’s a disservice to basketball, a disservice to the game to not want to compete at a high level, to want your season to end in April,” he said.
Bucks co-owner Wes Edens offered words to calm the nerves of jittery Bucks fans who would be devastated should Antetokounmpo, one of the most popular players in the team’s history, end up leaving Milwaukee.
“I had a great conversation with Giannis back in June, and he made it clear that he was very committed to Milwaukee,” Edens said. “He likes being here. He likes his family being here. He thinks that the team is – obviously, we’ve had some bad fortune these last couple of years in the playoffs, but there’s a lot of positives. Obviously, the move for Myles was a big decision for us.”
The Turner Factor
To land Turner, the Bucks waived Lillard, a 35-year-old nine-time All-Star, and stretched the remaining $103 million left on his deal to facilitate the team’s signing of Turner, a move that stunned many around the league.
The addition of Turner, who will provide floor-spacing and elite rim protection, brings in a major roster piece for the Bucks.
“Myles Turner is going to be huge for us,” Antetokounmpo said. “He’s one of the best bigs in the league. I’m very excited for him. I think that was an incredible move.”
Turner, for his part, is making the most of the move to Milwaukee.
“One thing I’m doing now is embracing change, embracing this cool part of my career,” he said. “I’m heading into my prime. I’m 29 years old, in my 11th season. I’m in a city now that wants to celebrate me. Go where you are celebrated, and I feel like that’s here. People have been nothing but welcoming, and I’m excited for the opportunity.”
Turner threw out a ceremonial first pitch at the Milwaukee Brewers game against the Cincinnati Reds at American Family Field on Sunday and attended a Green Bay Packers tilt at Lambeau Field earlier in September while wearing a custom cheesehead.
“It’s been dope. Coming here, the people have been so welcoming,” Turner said. “That’s the biggest thing. I’m comfortable just walking around in public. They’ve embraced me. It comes with being in the Midwest and being in a ‘small market,’” he said.
Also back in the fold is fan favorite Bobby Portis Jr., who begins his 11th season in the NBA and sixth with the Bucks after resigning with the team during the off-season.
“It’s home. I’ve been here since 2020. It’s just great to partner with an organization that believes in me,” Portis said. “It’s been a great experience for me being here in Milwaukee. It definitely would have been weird going to another franchise. I’m happy I’m here, for sure.”
Setting Up for Game 1
Following practice in Milwaukee on Thursday, the Bucks will travel to Miami to continue training camp on the campus of Florida International University, with daily practices held at Ocean Bank Convocation Center. Last season, the Bucks’ training camp including four days of practice on the campus of the University of California-Irvine.
The remote settings are an effort by head coach Doc Rivers and his staff to foster team unity.
Milwaukee opens its preseason schedule in Miami on Oct. 6 against the Heat. The regular-season opener is Oct. 22 vs. the Washington Wizards at Fiserv Forum.
“We understand that nothing is going to be given to us,” Horst said. “This is a team that is really hungry to earn whatever we get and they want to deserve to win.”
