Giannis on Bucks Being Overlooked in NBA Title Conversation: ‘Nobody Cares About Us’

AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Giannis Antetokounmpo thinks the rest of the NBA world is indifferent about the Milwaukee Bucks in their quest to win a second straight championship. 

Speaking to ESPN’s Malika Andrews (starts at :05 mark), Antetokounmpo said “nobody cares about us” when asked if there was an advantage to flying under the radar for the Bucks. 

The Bucks have been going through the motions for most of the season, due in part to a number of key players missing extended periods of time. 

Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton have all missed at least 11 games. Pat Connaughton and Bobby Portis are the only players on the roster who have appeared in at least 51 of the team’s 60 games. 

Bucks general manager Jon Horst did take steps to supplement the roster at the trade deadline. The team added Serge Ibaka from the Los Angeles Clippers as part of a four-team deal on Feb. 10. 

Per FanDuel Sportsbook, Milwaukee currently has the fourth-best title odds at +650 (bet $100 to win $650). The Golden State Warriors (+410), Phoenix Suns (+410) and Brooklyn Nets (+600) are ahead of the defending champs. 

Despite not having their core together as frequently as they would like, the Bucks are currently the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 36-24 record. They rank ninth in the NBA in net rating (plus-3.4), per Basketball-Reference.com.  

The Bucks aren’t in a much different position now than they were at this point last season. They were 37-23 through 60 games and went on to finish third in the Eastern Conference. 

Milwaukee went on to defeat the Miami Heat, Nets, Atlanta Hawks and Suns in the playoffs en route to winning the franchise’s second championship. 

As long as the Bucks have Antetokounmpo, Holiday and Middleton on the court in the playoffs, they are capable of beating any team in the NBA. 

Antetokounmpo is in the midst of an MVP-caliber season. The 27-year-old is second in the league in scoring (29.4 points per game), tied for seventh in rebounding (11.2) and is averaging a career high in assists (6.0). 

After an eight-day All-Star break, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks will return to the court on Saturday when they host the Nets at Fiserv Forum.