Levels: The Bucks’ Lost Season and the Looming ‘Nasty Breakup’ with Giannis Antetokounmpo
I’m still trying to come to terms with the 2022-23 season that just went down in flames for my beloved Milwaukee Bucks. It’s hard not to take it personally, like a punch to the gut every time I think about those blowout losses and the constant uncertainty surrounding our franchise icon Giannis Antetokounmpo.
I remember walking out of Fiserv Forum after the 45-point shellacking in Brooklyn, feeling defeated and wondering what was going on. Was this really happening? Were we really that bad? The vibes at practice were off, with players seemingly going through the motions, as Bobby Portis blew his top during a session. “This is why we suck… We carry ourselves like everything’s fine… No one is listening to coaches.”
I felt like I was reliving the 2010-11 season all over again when Scott Skiles was let go mid-season and the team imploded. The difference now is that this time, our superstar player is at the center of it all.
It started last summer with Antetokounmpo reasserting his desire to be moved after the Bucks’ front office failed to deliver on its promise to build a contending roster. We waved goodbye to Damian Lillard, stretched out his contract and signed Myles Turner for $108 million… but what’s the endgame here? The team that was supposed to make a deep playoff run instead finds itself in 11th place in the East with Antetokounmpo missing games due to injuries.
13 losses by 25 or more points, including that soul-crushing 33-point home defeat against Minnesota. Players were calling out coaches and teammates in meetings, but no one seemed to be listening. The Bucks were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs on March 28, with Antetokounmpo playing only 36 games this season – a career-low.
It’s hard not to feel for my kids Michael-Vincent and Blake as they watched their team collapse around them. They’re at that age where they’re starting to grasp what it means to be a real fan: the highs and lows, the agony of defeat, the thrill of victory. I only hope we can find our way back next season.
The Bucks’ decision not to trade Antetokounmpo before the deadline was a head-scratcher at the time, but now it seems like a last-ditch effort to cling onto him, hoping he’d see the light and want to stay. But why would he? He’s been treated like an outcast for months, his future in Milwaukee uncertain.
The Bucks are headed back to the draft lottery after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2016, a far cry from our championship run just two years ago. As we look towards next season, the looming question is: what happens with Giannis? Will we trade him and break up this toxic team situation or try to convince him to stay and build around him?
It’s an agonizing uncertainty that keeps me up at night as a fan. I grab a late-night Kwik Trip coffee, head down to Culver’s for some frozen custard, but nothing seems to fill the void.
As we wait for answers, here are 7 levels of this Bucks season:
1. The highs – We did win games, after all. Some of them were even close!
2. The lows – I’m not sure what was more painful: those blowout losses or seeing Giannis’ frustration grow by the day.
3. The mystery surrounding Antetokounmpo’s future – Will we keep him? Will someone else come calling? Can we afford to lose him?
4. The tension in the locker room – I’m not sure what was worse, the coaching staff berating players for selfish play or the lack of urgency among teammates.
5. The lack of identity on this team – What are we even trying to do out there?
6. The 13 losses by 25+ points – Some were just brutal.
7. The toxic situation – As one source put it, “This is as toxic of a team situation as any in the league.”