Giannis Antetokounmpo Discusses the Milwaukee Bucks’ Defensive Problems in Brutally Honest Way

Giannis Antetokounmpo Discusses the Milwaukee Bucks’ Defensive Problems in Brutally Honest Way.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ deplorable 142-130 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night was yet another example of their defensive shortcomings.

The Bucks’ performance against the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday was not much better. Milwaukee managed to defeat the Spurs 125-121, but the fact that San Antonio, a team with five wins, came dangerously close to pulling off a major upset says volumes about their recent struggles.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Discusses the Milwaukee Bucks’ Poor Defensive Performance
Jan. 3, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA: At Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34), reacts to a basket made by the Indiana Pacers during the second half of play. Trevor Ruszkowski of USA

Jan. 3, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA: At Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34), reacts to a basket made by the Indiana Pacers during the second half of play. Trevor Ruszkowski of USA

Speaking ahead of the thrilling matchup between the Spurs and Victor Wembanyama on Thursday, Giannis was brutally honest about his team’s defensive shortcomings:

Following his fourth defeat to the Pacers this season, Antetokounmpo remarked, “I’ve been a part of a few teams that have been No. 1 in defense, but at the end of the day, it’s all about pride and effort,” as reported by Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “You won’t achieve any results if you lack pride and don’t work hard enough. I think we can be very proud of our abilities and how hard we play, even though we don’t always play that way.

“You need to find a method to simply maintain that engine’s performance for an extended period of time. But once more, I think the possibilities are endless if we come together as a team and realize that we can’t allow a team to score 140 points on us when we’re aiming for 142. That is not how you can be consistent. We must therefore be able to guard. We need to improve our guarding efforts.

Jan. 1, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA: Tyrese Haliburton (0), a guard for the Indiana Pacers, drives to the basket in the second half of a game at Fiserv Forum against the Milwaukee Bucks. Unavoidable Credit: USA TODAY Sports/Kamill Krzaczynski
Regretfully, the Bucks were unable to fully understand the game on Thursday when they played the Spurs. In a game that was far too close to call, they gave up 121 points to San Antonio. The Spurs, who are currently 5-29, are ranked 23rd in the NBA in terms of average points scored per game going into Thursday’s game.

NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo
December 13, 2023, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA: Giannis Antetokounmpo, 34, of the Milwaukee Bucks, reacts after making a basket at Fiserv Forum against the Indiana Pacers in the third quarter. Required Credit: USA TODAY Sports/Benny Sieu
In order to finish their current three-game road trip against the Houston Rockets, Giannis and the Bucks will need to improve greatly on the defensive end on Saturday.