For the second season in a row, the Milwaukee Bucks have got the best record in the league. 2019 MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, is at the forefront of this regular-season success. However, they couldn’t convert that to post-season success as they crashed out in the 2019 Conference Finals against the Toronto Raptors. If they fail to reach the NBA Finals again, former NBA Champion says the Bucks will be worried.
While making an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up, Perkins said it could be a worrying time for the Bucks. “With the Milwaukee Bucks having the best record for two seasons in a row, they have to make it to the NBA finals. If they don’t… it’s a failed season. They’re going to have concerns signing Giannis to a long-term extension.”
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Will Giannis Antetokounmpo seek new pastures?
Perkins then compared Giannis and the Bucks to LeBron James and his last two years (of his first stint) with the Cleveland Cavaliers. “When you go back and look at 2009-2010, LeBron James had the best record in the league. Both years. (When) he failed to make it to the NBA finals, he went and joined the Miami Heat. So if I’m the Milwaukee Bucks, I’m worried. Their chance of losing Giannis is very high.”
Last season, the Bucks cruised into the Eastern Conference Finals, only to be sent home packing. They won the first two games against the Raptors, but then ended up losing four in a row and crashed out. Giannis will be under the most pressure since he has to justify his MVP trophy. He has had yet another MVP worthy season. But he will be determined to replicate the same form in the playoffs as well.
If the Bucks are unable to at least reach the NBA Finals this year, Giannis will test the waters in the 2021 Free Agency. Teams like the Miami Heat and the Golden State Warriors are waiting to pounce on such an opportunity. As we edge closer to the playoffs, all eyes will be on Giannis and the Bucks. They will be aiming to break the shackles of the ‘regular-season performers’ tag and prove their critics wrong.
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Source: Basketball Reference, YouTube