![]() I came from nothing and worked hard every day. I think I was the only one that was embracing that. He was breaking us down, but I was happy about it. It was tough, but that’s not happening this year,” Antetokounmpo told Yahoo Sports about getting upset with his coach’s decision to rest him periodically. Saying such a thing should acknowledge all of the other ways where Kidd’s presence could have easily derailed Antetokounmpo’s progress, such as telling him not to shoot threes or running his body into the ground, which brought on the knee injury and controversy that came about during the summer of 2017.įor Antetokounmpo, working and running through three-hour practices regularly to the point of pain was one that he was happy with at the time as he told Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes the following earlier this season: That immediately gave hope to Antetokounmpo’s future as a superstar, and that’s exponentially grown over the last two seasons since the arrival of head coach Mike Budenholzer.Īs much as the Kidd era brought much distress and believe me, my co-site expert Adam McGee perfectly detailed those flaws and many shortcomings in this piece focusing on the period in the franchise, Kidd empowering Antetokounmpo to the degree that he did helped him find the path he’s on today. Strangely enough, that was largely the case as Kidd’s grand declarations didn’t become fully realized until midway through the 2015-16 season after the Bucks’ season was going nowhere fast and they were out of playoff contention. Also, remember when Giannis’ jumpshot looked like this?Įxperimenting with running your team’s offense, albeit in Summer League, through a 6’11” raw, lanky physical specimen like Giannis Antetokounmpo could have easily come off as some hyped up test run that never went anywhere. ![]() While he certainly took his lumps, such as compiling 18 turnovers in four games, seeing Antetokounmpo run wild up and down the floor and use minimal dribbles, his gangly set of limbs and primal explosiveness to throw down a dunk was only a continuation of seeing him play in the second division in Greece at that time. “As time goes on, I feel more comfortable.” “I did it like two years ago in Europe, but last year I didn’t do it at all,” Antetokounmpo said of his rookie season in Milwaukee. Grant Hill had a quick first step, but he was a point forward.”Īs Gardner later noted, taking on such a primary role directing the team’s offense was a refresher for Antetokounmpo in Vegas: But that’s what this time of the year is for, to understand Magic (Johnson) wasn’t fast. “A 19-year-old to a 30-year-old is a little different in understanding that. We slowly have started letting him have the ball and running the offense… ![]() “When you see a player’s comfort level with the ball - no matter what size - we wanted to see it in game action. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel at the time: Still, the future remained bright for Antetokounmpo and the Bucks and not very long into getting the Bucks’ job, Kidd made his intentions loud and clear for the unique way he saw how Antetokounmpo could be weaponized.ĭuring Antetokounmpo’s run during the 2014 Summer League in Las Vegas, Kidd wanted to put the ball in the growing teenager’s hands as he told Charles F. Milwaukee Bucks: Hitting milestones through first 26 gamesīottoming out as hard as the Bucks did, their future quickly changed in the summer of 2014 with not only the second overall pick in that year’s draft, but also a new ownership coming into the mix as well.Īntetokounmpo would soon have a new running mate in Jabari Parker and a new coach in Hall of Fame point guard, Jason Kidd, in what came under a questionable set of circumstances and optics for the ownership trio of Wes Edens, Jamie Dinan and Marc Lasry.5 Players the Milwaukee Bucks gave up on way too soon.5 Worst signings in Milwaukee Bucks history.Looking at important playoff numbers in Milwaukee Bucks franchise history.How well do you know the Milwaukee Bucks’ top 20 career point leaders?.
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