These Mistakes Will Cost the Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo

It’s no surprise that the future of Giannis is in question after being eliminated by the Miami Heat in the second round. There was already speculation of Giannis leaving in free agency before they disappointed in the playoffs. Now this upcoming season is do or die for the Bucks. If they want to secure Giannis as a Buck for the foreseeable future, they need to make the Finals. Some people already speculate that it’s too late for the Bucks to keep Giannis and that he is most likely out of their reach.

When superstars leave their franchises after many years, it usually isn’t one game or bad move by management that persuades them to leaving. It’s usually a slow build up over time that causes the superstar player to leave his franchise. An example of this is Lebron James leaving Cleveland back in 2010. The Cavaliers were constantly disappointing in the playoffs due to Lebron not having enough talent around him to succeed. This led Lebron to join Miami and form a big 3 to contend for championships. People are comparing Lebron James legacy to Giannis and his legacy and drawing comparisons between the two’s careers. It is likely that Giannis follows in the footsteps of Lebron James and leaves in free agency for a better chance to compete for championships and play in a bigger market.

Since Giannis has arrived in Milwaukee, they have made many questionable moves which could ultimately cost them their franchise player. But which moves have led Giannis to potentially leave the Milwaukee Bucks? In this article we will explore the Buck’s decisions that could ultimately result in them losing Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2021 free agency.

Losing Malcolm Brogdon and Not Willing to Spend the Luxury Tax

One of the main reasons the Bucks lost in the second round to the Heat was their lack of a secondary ball handler. Another reason they got upset was their lack of creation from perimeter. Last season the Milwaukee Bucks had a player who did both of these things. They had Malcolm Brogdon. In his last season with the Bucks, Brogdon led the league in free throw percentage and was part of the elite 50-40-90 club. He was one of the best shooters in the league and added another scoring punch to the Bucks team. He was also a secondary playmaker and averaged 3.2 assists per game. Brogdon was also a good defender who fit in perfectly with the Bucks defensive identity.

In the 2019 offseason, the Bucks did a sign and trade which sent Brogdon to the Pacers. In his first season with the Pacers, Brogdon showed the Bucks that they made a colossal mistake. This season with the Pacers, Brogdon averaged 7.1 assists per game which ranked 11th among the entire league. He was also an efficient playmaker and had a top 20 assist to turnover ratio. Brogdon averaged a career high 16.5 points per game and shot 89% from the free throw line. His free throw percentage ranked 9th in the league.

Brogdon looked like a most improved player candidate before he got injured. In the first 11 games of the season he averaged 20.7 points and 8.5 assists per game. He also shot 47% from the field and 98% from the line in his first 11 games as a Pacer. Unfortunately he suffered a back injury which hindered his most improved player candidacy.

Giannis and Malcolm Brogdon had a close relationship when they were teammates. Giannis voiced how disappointed he was that he wouldn’t be teammates with Malcolm Brogdon. This move could’ve resulted in Giannis losing trust in the Bucks organization. How could Giannis trust that the Bucks will keep him happy if they trade a player who was key to their success and who Giannis had a close relationship with?

The reason the Bucks lost Malcolm Brogdon is because they were not willing to pay the luxury tax to maintain him. One of Milwaukee’s majority owners is Marc Lasry. He has a net worth of $1.8 billion dollars and he was too cheap to pay the luxury tax. Giannis and Marc recently had a 3 hour lunch to discuss the future of the franchise. Marc confirmed that the Bucks are willing to pay the luxury tax this upcoming season, in an attempt to maintain Giannis. However it might be too little too late. The Bucks already lost Malcolm Brogdon due to unwillingness to pay the luxury tax and should have already been willing to pay the tax prior to their 2nd round exit.

Poor Draft Decisions

The Bucks did make the best draft decision of the decade by drafting Giannis 15th overall in the 2013 draft, but this doesn’t excuse the many draft mistakes they have made in recent history.

In the 2014 draft, the Bucks selected Jabari Parker 2nd overall. In his lone season with Duke, he was one of the best players in college basketball. Jabari showed flashes of greatness in the NBA by averaging 20 points per game at the age of 21. Unfortunately injuries have heavily hindered Jabari’s career. He has played more than 65 games in a season just once in his 6 year career. His lower body injuries have plagued his ability to stay on the court. They have also affected his play on the court, resulting in him not being the same player he once was. Jabari’s career has been on the rapid decline since he left Milwaukee and he’s been labeled by most to be a draft bust.

To put more salt on the wound, the Bucks drafted Jabari Parker over Joel Embiid. Joel was selected one pick after Jabari. Embiid is one of the best rim protectors in the league, one of the best post scorers in the league and arguably the best center in basketball. The Bucks passing up on a multiple time all-star to select one of the most injury prone players in the league is just one of many draft mistakes they have made in recent history.

In the 2015 draft the Bucks made two crucial mistakes. The first was drafting Rashad Vaughn with the 17th overall pick. Vaughn only played 3 seasons in the NBA and didn’t have any impact when he was in the league. He has a career average of 3 points per game and was a pretty disappointing player for the Bucks. However, we can’t be too harsh on the Bucks as there weren’t many great players they passed up on to select Vaughn. They did pass up on quality players such as Delon Wright and Bobby Portis, but they didn’t pass up on any players that would make them greatly regret their selection.

The more noticeable draft mistake they made was in the 2nd round of the 2015 draft. The Bucks selected Norman Powell with the 46th pick, then immediately traded him to the Toronto Raptors. This season Powell had a breakout year with the Raptors. He averaged 16 points per game on 50% shooting from the field and 40% from 3 point range. He also showed this season that he is valuable on the defensive end. In this trade the Bucks also traded away their 2017 first round pick. This pick ended up becoming OG Anunoby. OG has proven this season to be good in the catch and shoot, while also being one of the best isolation defenders in the NBA. The Bucks traded away these two players for Greivis Vasquez. Greivis would go on to play 23 games as a member of the Bucks, before shortly being out of the league.

The next significant draft mistake they made was in the 2016 draft. Although they did draft Malcolm Brogdon in the second round, they fumbled their first round selection. With the 10th overall pick the Milwaukee Bucks selected Thon Maker. Thon was a very risky and intriguing pick. The Bucks viewed Thon as a mobile 7 foot tall floor spacer with potential as a shot blocker. Unfortunately he hasn’t panned out as expected. Many people thought Thon had lots of potential and could be a key part of the Bucks future. He even gained heavy praise from former NBA players such as Kevin Garnett. In Maker’s rookie year, Garnett claimed that Thon could be a future MVP. Thon hasn’t even come close to sniffing MVP level and hasn’t proven he’s worthy of this praise from a hall of fame player.

There was also some controversy surrounding Thon Maker and his age. A big red flag for drafting Thon was no one was quite sure of his age. He was listed as 19 years old on draft night, but most believed he was significantly older. It was speculated that Thon was between 21 and 23 years old on draft night. Thon was traded to the Pistons after playing with Milwaukee for 3 seasons. If they would have made a smarter pick, the Bucks future could look a lot different right now.

The Bucks passed up on Domantas Sabonis, who was selected one pick after Thon. Sabonis made his first all-star appearance this season for the Pacers at the age of 23. He still has lots of room to grow and could potentially make more all-star appearances in his career. Domantas averaged nearly 20 points per games this season and was one of the league’s leading rebounders. Sabonis is another all-star player that the Bucks passed up. Another decision that haunts them and their franchise.

The streak of Buck’s draft mistakes continues. In the 2017 draft the Bucks selected D.J Wilson with the 17th overall pick. D.J is 24 years old and still has time to improve, but it most likely won’t be with Milwaukee. He hasn’t been given a great opportunity to succeed with the Bucks. He only averaged 10 minutes last season and it is clear the Bucks have given up on him. What makes the selection sting even more is the player drafted 2 picks later. John Collins was selected two picks after D.J Wilson. John Collins is one of the biggest steals of the 2017 draft and has all-star potential. He averaged 21.6 points per game this season and shot 41% from 3. Collins would’ve been the perfect fit next to Giannis due to his mobility and floor spacing abilities.

Obviously it’s easy to point out teams mistakes using hindsight. In the moment most people wouldn’t have thought that these decisions would backfire as much as they have. The amount of draft mistakes they have made since 2013 is very concerning. One of the main keys to championship teams is great drafting no matter where you are selecting. The Bucks have had opportunities to select great players, but they made the wrong decision. These bad draft mistakes have piled up and could be a key deciding factor in Giannis potentially leaving in the 2021 offseason.

Coaching

It’s not always the players to blame in a disappointing playoff exit. Most of the time the coach is the most responsible for a playoff loss. Good coaching is very important in the NBA. The best teams in the NBA and the best teams of all time, have all been led by great coaches. When a team is upset in the playoffs, the coach is usually the first thing that looks to be changed. In the case of the Milwaukee Bucks, it is more than likely that head coach Mike Budenholzer returns for another season. Although his job for next season is safe, he is still a crucial part in their second round exit.

One of the main pieces of criticism that Budenholzer has faced is how he allocated his player’s minutes. Budenholzer only played Giannis 30 minutes per game during the second round of the playoffs. Playing the two time reigning MVP only 30 minutes a night is criminal. He was the best player in the series and one of the best players in the league and should have been on the court more. Budenholzer managed Antetokounmpo’s minutes like he was a 20 year veteran. Giannis is only 25 years old and is in the prime of his career. He was also very well rested. There’s no excuse to play Giannis only 30 minutes a night. None.

Mike Budenholzer also had some other questionable coaching decisions. His rotations were heavily questioned and are a main reason they got upset by the Heat. First off, he played Frank Mason III in a playoff game. He only played 2 minutes total in the series but he never should’ve been on the court in the first place.

Budenholzer also played Pat Connaughton too many minutes in the playoffs. He’s another player who shouldn’t have been playing that series. He averaged 13 minutes per game and played a total of 25 minutes in game one in the Heat series. You should never play Connaughton 25 minutes in a playoff game. Never. He was a -36 in the series and shot an atrocious 28.6% from the field.

The best thing to do in the playoffs is shorten your rotations. This allows your best players to be on the court more often, which results in more success. The Bucks didn’t tighten up their rotations and ultimately payed the price.

Another issue with the coaching in the playoffs was Mike’s unwillingness to adjust. A 7 game playoff series gives teams lots of time to adjust on how to defeat your team. The playoffs are all about adjusting. Mike Budenholzer simply got outcoached by Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra. Budenholzer is a 2 time coach of the year winner and got outcoached in embarrassing fashion.

During the Bucks 2019 playoff run, the main issue was Budenholzer’s unwillingness to adjust and change his game plan. This ultimately resulted in them losing to the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals. History repeated itself and Mike Budenholzer failed to adjust in 2 consecutive playoff runs. In the regular season, the Bucks were the best team in the league. They found lots of success for excelling at one style of basketball. Once the playoffs arrived, their style of basketball was countered. They refused to adjust their style and this was ultimately their downfall. The Bucks allowed the most 3 pointers during the regular season. In the playoffs, they were matched up against an elite shooting team and failed to change their defensive style.

The Heat did an amazing job of limiting Giannis and slowing him down. This was one of the main factors that won the Heat the series. Mike Budenholzer failed to adjust how he was utilizing Giannis. He failed to involve Giannis in a cohesive offensive scheme. This made it easy for the Heat to slow Giannis down. Once you slow Giannis down, you slow the Bucks down.

Utilization of Giannis Antetokounmpo

It’s no secret that Giannis Antetokounmpo is a special player. He is among the league’s most elite players. He is an established superstar, as well as a generational talent. When you have a player that great on your team, you want to utilize his abilities the most you can. The Bucks surrounded Giannis with good defenders and shooters. This helped enhance Giannis and his abilities, but the job doesn’t end there. Giannis struggled in the half court offence during the second round. The Heat did an amazing job at limiting transition, as well as clogging the paint. These factors made it more difficult for Giannis to score.

During the regular season, Giannis put up great statistics as a pick and roll ball handler. He ranked in the 94th percentile as a pick and roll ball handler and had a score frequency of 52%. Despite these impressive numbers, he only averaged 1.9 possessions as the pick and roll ball handler. He ranked 153rd in possessions as the pick and roll ball handler, despite it being a very efficient option. In the playoffs he was even better as a pick and roll ball handler. He ranked in the 80th percentile and had a score frequency of 56.3%.

Despite this, he only averaged 1.8 possessions as the pick and roll ball handler. When Giannis was struggling in the half-court offence, they should have utilized him more as a pick and roll ball handler. He has great vision but he is primarily used as a drive and kick option. They could have went to him being the pick and roll ball handler. This would have opened up the floor for his teammates and be an efficient offensive option.

Another aspect of his game that has been very efficient and misused is his post game. When you compare his post stats to the best post players in the NBA, Giannis isn’t that far off. He shot 55.6% from the field on post ups, which ranked above Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis and Karl-Anthony Towns. Despite this efficiency, he only had a post up frequency of 11%. With his combination of height and strength, he should be utilized more as a post up player. He would also be an even more elite post up player if he shot better from the free throw line. Putting Giannis in the post more would also make the Bucks offence more complicated and it would add another level to their offensive scheme.

What’s Next for the Milwaukee Bucks?

As of right now the Bucks are in jeopardy. Milwaukee is at a high risk of losing their franchise player in the 2021 free agency. They need to give Giannis a reason to stay in Milwaukee. The Bucks need to show Giannis that they can build a successful team around him. The way to do this is to win the 2021 NBA championship. Next season is championship or bust for Milwaukee. They need to find a way to improve their team from this most recent season. They clearly weren’t worthy enough of winning the 2020 championship. So how do the Bucks contend for the title next season?

It will be difficult for Milwaukee to make roster changes this offseason. The Bucks need to improve their roster if they want to be serious title contenders next season. Unfortunately they won’t have the flexibility to do so. They won’t be able to gain new talent through free agency, as they are projected to have $-15 million dollars in cap space. The Bucks also don’t have many assets on their team that they could provide in a potential trade. They lack future draft picks and don’t have many, if any, trade assets on the roster.

The Bucks will most likely need to improve eternally, as it will be difficult for them to make trades and free agent signings to strengthen their roster. Milwaukee will need to play different styles of basketball and find different ways to utilize Giannis in the offence. Giannis also needs to take another step in his game. Despite being the reigning MVP, he still has many flaws in his game. First and foremost he NEEDS to become a better threat from the perimeter. In today’s NBA it is almost impossible to win a championship if your best player can’t consistently hit a jumpshot. Giannis also needs to be played in the post more.

Overall, it’s going to be very difficult to convince Giannis to resign. The Bucks have dug themselves a hole that might be impossible to climb out of. They have made many mistakes over the past couple of years which could haunt them in the long run. If the Bucks can’t prove to Giannis they can contend for the championship, it might make his decision to leave easier. His career in Milwaukee is starting to look very similar to Lebron James first stint in Cleveland. Don’t be surprised if Giannis leaves the Bucks to join a bigger market team with better supporting pieces.