Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the best basketball players in the world. authentic nfl jerseys cheap Yet he did not touch the ball in the final 35 seconds of regulation and several possessions in overtime during the Milwaukee Bucks’ 124-122 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night at Staples Center.
That is inexcusable.
On a night when the Bucks should be celebrating the fact that they are on the verge of clinching a playoff berth after consecutive wins on back-to-back nights over the Golden State Warriors and the Lakers, Friday night’s victory, and the way in which it transpired, offered another reminder of just how much work the organization has to do in the offseason — in finding the right coaching staff to help Antetokounmpo grow and creating the proper roster composition to allow that growth to be achieved.
Antetokounmpo is too dominant of a player, even on an off night when he was 8-for-20 from the field and struggled to find a rhythm early, to ever go through stretches late in games where he isn’t touching the ball. He didn’t even have a point, assist or turnover in the final 2:18 in regulation. When asked if his teammates had to do a better job finding him late in games, Antetokounmpo demurred, but his answer should scare the Bucks front office about the short-term future.
“A better job?” Antetokounmpo said. “I wouldn’t say that. I asked for the ball. [Eric] Bledsoe wanted to take a shot and then Khris [Middleton] wanted to take the shot, so I always trust my teammates and if they feel like they can execute in those moments in the game I’m just going to trust them and hopefully they end up well. We got the win, that’s all that matters. And I trust my teammates they’re going to find me when it matters the most.”
Yes, Bledsoe scored 39 points, including outscoring the Lakers by himself 11-10 in overtime and knocking down seven of his 12 three-point attempts. But there were far too many possessions late where Bledsoe didn’t look to pass and there was little to no ball movement. More important, it’s not Bledsoe’s team — nfl jerseys for cheap it’s Antetokounmpo’s. Antetokounmpo is the 23 year-old superstar and face of the franchise. He’s paid to deliver — and has multiple times this season — in exactly those kinds of moments. If he wants the ball, he should get it.