The distance between the Milwaukee Bucks and the championship has grown wider, and the Bucks are no longer the unbeatable force they were in their championship season.
It all started with being upset by the Miami Heat last season, leading to the team being tagged with the shameful label in NBA history. Someone had to take responsibility for this.
As the franchise player, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the Bucks' cash cow and cannot be shaken, leading to the dismissal of championship coach Mike Budenholzer.
However, before a replacement could be found, the decision to dismiss head coach Budenholzer prematurely lacked careful consideration, and hiring rookie coach Griffin was a forced move.
It can be confirmed that the mastermind behind this series of operations is Giannis Antetokounmpo.
At a critical moment when the franchise player is about to renew his contract, the team management made such significant personnel adjustments without his knowledge.
As a result, the team made many unwise decisions, such as trading for Damian Lillard.
However, players like Lillard, with their core ball-handling offense, are only suitable as the team's primary scorers. Is Giannis willing to relinquish his leadership position?
Having to give up ball-handling duties and set screens for Lillard clearly goes against Giannis's pride.
If he were willing, the team's performance would not be as it is now. Despite currently ranking second in the East, they are far behind the first-placed Celtics. The combination of Giannis and Lillard is clearly less effective than anticipated.
To acquire Lillard, the team gave up its two strongest defensive players, Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen.
Look at Holiday's performance with the Celtics; although inconsistent offensively, his DPOY-level defense has made the Celtics forget about Marcus Smart.
And Grayson Allen has grown into a top-tier 3-and-D player, undergoing a transformation with the Suns, becoming an indispensable part of the team.
Sacrificing these two players for Lillard's sake is simply not worth it.
Those who frequently watch games understand that playoffs depend on the performance of star players.
However, when the league knows that Giannis's shooting is not reliable, the Bucks can only rely on Middleton.
However, even though Middleton is an All-Star-level player, when healthy, he is only a fringe star.
Since winning the championship, Middleton, who signed a big contract, has been plagued by injuries, and now his contribution to the team is gradually decreasing.
Perhaps because Middleton's trade value is not as high as Holiday and Grayson Allen's, it's hard to understand why the Bucks traded them.
Wanting to elevate the star quality to acquire Lillard is understandable, but Middleton should have been the one sacrificed, no matter how you look at it.
Losing Holiday and Grayson Allen's defense, the Bucks' defensive efficiency has plummeted.
Lillard's defensive weaknesses are also glaring, and his offensive efficiency is not strong, while his defense is frequently targeted by opponents.
This is also one of the reasons why the Bucks are heavily criticized this season.
Giannis has been directly awakened from his championship dream at the beginning of the season.
Whether he regrets signing a three-year, $176 million contract extension with the team in advance is still unknown.
Adding the remaining two years of his $88 million contract, Giannis will receive $264 million from the Bucks in the next five years.
If we add Lillard's four-year, $207 million contract, the two of them will receive a total of $470 million in salaries over the next four to five years, occupying 70% of the team's salary cap.
This doesn't even include Middleton's contract.
As a result, it will be extremely challenging for the team management to build a championship team with the remaining salary cap space.
This can also be said to be Giannis's own doing. As the saying goes, "You reap what you sow," even if you have to do it with tears.
Unless the team can make major trades, the outcome of the Bucks' season is already very clear.
It cannot be denied that Giannis is a top player in today's league, especially in scoring and rebounding.
However, his shooting woes are widely known, which also limits his impact on the court.
Although the team is no longer a championship contender, Giannis's dominance remains.
His shooting struggles may make it difficult for him to sway the team's fortunes in crucial moments.
Overall, the Bucks' championship dream may have been shattered, and Giannis faces the pressure of taking responsibility.
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