Giannis, Bucks Focus on Big Picture as All Star Game Passes

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Nathaniel S. Butler NBAE/Getty Images

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The spectacle that is Giannis Antetokounmpo was on full display this past weekend as the 6’11” superstar made his presence felt at NBA’s All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles both on and off the court. After making his first appearance on one of the league’s biggest stages last year in Toronto, many fans couldn’t wait to see what the Greek Freak had in store for them in the city of Angels.

Competing under the new format of Team LeBron (James) versus Team Stephen (Curry), Giannis was the first pick by the Warriors MVP point guard while being the favorite to win the MVP award as well after averaging 27.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game through the first half of the season. While he failed to match his 30-point performance from last year, Giannis poured in a modest 16 points and seven rebounds over 27 minutes in what was one of the more fun and competitive All-Star games in the last decade. In fact, the game came ended with a defensive stop on the final possession as Team LeBron escaped with a 148-145 victory behind LeBron’s 29 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists.

As much fun as All-Star weekend was, especially being in the midst of it myself in downtown L.A., the 6th seeded Bucks have just a couple more days off before getting back to business. With just 25 games left in the regular season and only 2.5 games separating them from the 3rd seeded Cavaliers, the work gets even tougher as games start to mean a lot more with the playoffs vastly approaching.

Since Joe Prunty took over for Jason Kidd, Milwaukee has gone 9-3 and become a much-improved team on the defensive end in the process. Granted one can argue they’ve had a rather favorable schedule during that time, but there seems to be a different approach under Prunty and the players are feeding off the positive energy as of late. Let’s also not forget that getting Jabari Parker back in the fold has been a huge boost as well. The thought of having Parker alongside Giannis, Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton in the playoffs makes this team that much more of a threat to whoever might get in their way.

The Young Buck is Back?

While the Bucks remained relatively silent at the trade deadline besides the Tyler Zeller acquisition to beef up the front line, many felt that there was a need to get some help in the backcourt with injuries to backup point guards Malcolm Brogdon and Matthew Dellavedova. Well, there might be a little reunion on our hands as former Bucks first round pick Brandon Jennings has found his way back to Wisconsin after signing a G-League contract with the Herd last week.

Jennings’s basketball career has been interesting, to say the least. After skipping high school to play in Italy, he exploded onto the NBA scene in Milwaukee by scoring a Bucks rookie record 55 points in just his seventh game during the 2009-2010 season. He would play four up and down seasons in Milwaukee before making it vocal he wanted out and was subsequently traded to the Pistons for Brandon Knight and Khris Middleton. Looking back, it worked out best for the franchise as Middleton has turned out to be one of the more underrated players in the league. Jennings has since had stops in New York, Orlando, and even Washington last season. Most recently he took his talents to China where he played 13 games and averaged 27.9 points, 6.8 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists over 35 minutes a game played.

Without getting too excited yet, it’s just a trial basis so to speak as Jennings hopes to prove himself worthy of landing another NBA contract. He still has the freedom to sign with any NBA team and cannot simply be called up to the Bucks active roster without someone getting waived. Nonetheless, now 28 years of age, the journeyman understands he has a huge chip on his shoulder and what better place to demonstrate his value than the place where it all started. Brogdon and Delly’s timetable for return is uncertain at this point so if all goes well over the next week or so, the Bucks have a big decision to make as to whether adding Jennings to the roster is worth it for the stretch run.

The likely candidates to be released would be 40-year-old Jason Terry or streaky combo guard Sean Kilpatrick. Of course Jennings isn’t the same player he used to be, but the ability to score and make plays is something he’s always been accustomed to. Not going to lie, the nostalgia of having Jennings back in the green and cream would be something to see and would be sure to have mixed feelings with the fans. Look, he’s no longer an immature kid looking to be the man of the team and has the chance to redeem himself to a fan base that tried to believe in him once upon a time. Jennings will make his Herd debut Wednesday night in Oshkosh at Menominee Nation arena against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

Second Half Outlook

When you look at the Bucks’ remaining schedule, 13 of the 25 games come on the road and a total of 14 games are against playoff contending teams. Over the next couple of weeks, we will have a good idea just how the playoff picture will be shaping up as Milwaukee understands that they will need to bring it night in and night out if they hope to find themselves with home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Without jumping the gun, the Deer must take the one game at a time approach. I know it sounds cliché, but the issue that has troubled them in the past is when they overlook certain opponents or play down to their competition. They especially need to send a message and take advantage of teams such as the Knicks, Hawks, and Magic, who are low in the standings looking to tank for a better draft position. The only game that matters, however, is the next one on the schedule. Don’t’ blink Bucks fans; it sure looks to be an entertaining ride over the next few months.