100-112. On paper, it doesn’t look like that much of a difference. But if you are to go and look at how the Milwaukee Bucks performed vs the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 9, you’d probably be as ticked off as Giannias Antetokounmpo, with some choice words ready. And the victim this time? Kyle Kuzma. But before we get to that…

With a lot of overthinking and a lot of underdelivering, the Bucks were undeniably looking like a shadow of their former self. Low off of a close 111-109 loss to the Orlando Magic just the day prior, the team was ready to regroup, recenter, and reclaim. However, what instead happened was their offense floundering heavily, leaving them 0-9 against top teams in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks evidently struggled to break down their opponent’s defense, recording their second-fewest assists in a game this season with 17.

While Kuzma added a 3-pointer to take his team to a 89-84 lead with 8:55 remaining, the Cavaliers’ Donovan Mitchell made up for it just 21 seconds later with a 3-pointer, essentially launching the 13-0 winning run that put his team at a 102-84 lead with 4 minutes 35 seconds left. With the win, the Cavs ultimately became the second-ever team to win 14 consecutive games while scoring at least 110 points each. As per NBA’s official website, the last time it happened was way back in 1986 by the Boston Celtics.

So, naturally, the Bucks are feeling the heat, and with the playoffs right around the corner, Antetokounmpo isn’t in the mood for hesitation. He’s got one message for Kuzma: Stop overthinking and start attacking. Simple as that. After a frustrating loss where Kuzma showed flashes but never fully took control, Giannis laid it out straight. No sugarcoating, no soft encouragement—just a blunt, direct challenge. “Do not think about me. You know, when he gets the ball, try to score. Try to be a threat. And I’ll find the open space,” Antetokounmpo began in a post-game interview.

“But the moment he’s a threat and my guy commits, I’m able to throw…Just play free…Just need Kuzma to be aggressive. If the guy goes under, shoot the ball. If the guy goes over, try to turn the corner. You’re 6’10”, go to the rim. If my guy commits, it’s got to be up to the rim. If not, read the low man. If the low man pre-rotates to me, throw it to the corner. It’s two against one on the other side, you know? So, just be you. Be you. Don’t think about me. Be you. I’ll figure out space within the game. And if, at the end of the day, if he’s aggressive, I’m going to try to go get offensive…And if I don’t get it, we go the other way and play defense,” the player concluded.

Kuzma, on the other hand, also appeared downcast and agreed with his teammate’s points following the loss. “Let our heads down a little bit. I think how we played on offense, we played on our heels a little bit. Not playing aggressive. Not being decisive. A little bit of overthinking.”

Since arriving in Milwaukee on February 5, Kuzma has had his moments. That 13-rebound game against the Timberwolves? A glimpse of what he can bring. But the consistency just isn’t there. Giannis isn’t asking for perfection—just confidence. On Sunday, too, Kuzma added 14 points to the game, with one assist, and six rebounds. Notably, the six-foot-nine forward was struggling even when he was playing for the Washington Wizards before. Down with injuries for a small part of the season, his scoring was down to just 15 points per game.

His field goal percentage was also at a career-low of 42% from the field. Now that’s a challenge. As for Antetokounmpo, he finished the game with 30 points and moved into 50th place on the NBA’s career scoring list. The 30-year-old also added nine rebounds, and three assists in 34 minutes of play.

Having said that, Milwaukee didn’t trade for Kuzma to be a passive bystander. They need him to step up.

Top Comment by Kevin Merritt

Milwaukee Bucks in my opinion failed to trade for The “missing piece “ and that is Brandon Ingram. I’m really...more

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Doc Rivers’ Warning: The Bucks Can’t Afford This Hesitation

Giannis isn’t the only one frustrated. Doc Rivers sees it too. And while he knows it takes time to adjust to a new system, he’s losing patience. “I think Kuz is probably the hardest [to integrate] in a lot of ways,” Rivers admitted. “I think he’s being almost too unselfish right now, in my opinion.”

That’s not good. Milwaukee didn’t bring Kuzma in to be a nice complementary piece. They need him to make an impact.

Rivers has been through this before. He saw it fall apart with the Clippers when Kawhi Leonard and Paul George never quite clicked. Back in Boston, it took time for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to mesh with Paul Pierce. But the Bucks don’t have that luxury.“I counted three or four times a day where we advanced it to him early on. He was just going for it. Now, he’s trying to find guys,” Rivers said.

Of course, the loss to Cleveland wasn’t just on Kuzma. The Bucks shot a brutal 29% from three while the Cavs knocked down 40.4%. Milwaukee trailed 62-52 at halftime and never really looked in control. But Kuzma’s role is still a glaring question mark. When he plays aggressive, the Bucks look dangerous. When he hesitates, they struggle. And Giannis isn’t waiting around for him to figure it out. The message is loud and clear: “Be you. Don’t think about me. Be you.”

Milwaukee doesn’t have time for second-guessing. The playoffs are coming fast, and if Kuzma doesn’t flip the switch soon, the Bucks’ title hopes might be in serious trouble.

A month left before the postseason. The pressure is real. Giannis Antetokounmpo has spoken. Rivers has made it clear. Now, the only question is—will Kuzma respond?