Giannis Antetokunbo and the Milwaukee Bucks qualified from the epic series with the Nets and the whole universe seems to be conspiring, so that the Greek superstar wears the ring.
He is already twice MVP. And in fact continuous. He is a member of the best defensive five in the NBA, but also in general of the top five of the season. He is the absolute leader of the Milwaukee Bucks and one of the 3-4 biggest stars in the magical world. But all this means nothing to Giannis Antetokoumbo. They mean nothing at least until he accomplishes his greatest and most important goal. Winning a championship.
Greek Freak is 26 years old to 27 and has achieved everything. Almost. Countless accolades, dozens of awards, he is widely accepted as one of the greatest players in the world, but also one of the lowest-ranking people in the top league in the world. The only thing he is not (yet) is a champion. John's big goal when he entered the NBA was that and not the individual awards. And a few years later he is facing the biggest challenge of his life.
In a year that the Bucks have heard a lot, with a lot of whining about him, but also about Chris Middleton, Jri Holliday, but also the general operation of the team by Mike Budenholzer is there. They are in the finals of the East and have the biggest chance for the title after Karim Abdul Jabbar.
John is the one who brought them to this point, with his majestic performances against Kevin Durant's Nets. The Greek superstar had 31,9 points, 12,9 rebounds and 3,6 assists in a row and proved how much he wanted to qualify. Of course, together with Middleton, but also the whole team, they overturned the series from 2-0 and 3-2, against a super team but also against the predictions, they reached 4-3 and sent home the big favorite for ring. As everyone can understand, the Bucks after two years that did not succeed in the postseason have a unique opportunity that no one can know if they will have again. To win the title, with Giannis in the role of clear leader.
The deer is the favorite as the quartet has evolved, as they face the impressive but inexperienced Hawks, who eliminated the Knicks and the Sixers in a row with a home disadvantage and will undoubtedly put the Greek Freak in a difficult position. Tre Yang is in a semi-wild state, but as Antetokunbo and Yiannis know, he should not miss this opportunity. All the big names from the East have been left out (Nets, Sixers, Celtics, Knicks, Heath) for many different reasons and the Bucks have thrown out two of them.
The universe is conspiring for the Bucks
The Bucks entering the postseason probably knew that they are not the No. 1 team to win the title. But the circumstances brought it this way and the deer saw all the big stars, all the super teams, but also all the experienced teams being left out. The Lakers, Nets, Sixers, Jazz said goodbye, as did Jokic (Nuggets), Doncic (Mavericks), Lillard (Blazers).
The only ones to continue are the Hawks who have a very strong team, but the Clippers with the Suns from the West also seem to have a ceiling. On paper, the two western teams have better rosters, more depth and experience and have players who can make a difference. On the one hand Booker and Paul and on the other Leonard and George. But come on, even here John and the Bucks seem to have luck on their side.
After the series with the Nets and the absence for at least 4 matches of Harden, but also of Irving for 3, Chris Paul was diagnosed positive in the coronavirus and was quarantined as required by the health protocol with his return remaining unknown. Similarly, the LA team was shocked to see Kawai Leonard's magnetic field show a serious knee problem (it was even written as a problem in the cruciate ligament), with the Clippers superstar being out and it is unknown to him when he will return. The media in the USA talk about an absence of even 6 months and an operation, while he has already lost three matches.
So the Bucks, who anyway have a unique opportunity for the title, but also to write history, have the luck on their side, or rather the misfortune of others. The Suns and Clippers are other teams without Paul and Leonard, while against the Hawks in the Eastern Finals they are favorites, although the Hawks are a tough nut to crack.
In the NBA, it seems difficult for Antikoumbo to find another such great opportunity for the ring, since one can consider that all the superstars (LeBron, Durand, Curry, Leonard, Irving, etc.) who have been sweeping the titles for 10-15 years are out of claim. All he has to do is take advantage of it, make 4 wins against the Hawks and the penultimate step, reaching the end of the road and there finish the job and go down in history. Both the NBA, but also the Bucks and Greek sports in general. The biggest challenge is in front of him and the Greek Freak has all the guarantees and the ability to grab it…
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