MILWAUKEE (AP) 鈥� Giannis Antetokounmpo had a few spare moments during his busy summer to let the NBA know he is keenly aware of what the league thinks about his Milwaukee Bucks.
In addition to getting married and the two-time MVP had a telling about the NBA's schedule: 鈥淣o Christmas game?!鈥� he wrote, with two emojis showing a laughing and crying face.
It is hardly the only sign of disrespect the Bucks have received after of the playoffs the last two years.
While the league's five-game didn鈥檛 have any room for the , the Bucks finished fifth in an asking them to list the top four teams in the Eastern Conference.
鈥淎s a basketball player who loves the game, nobody鈥檚 talking about us, right?鈥� Bucks forward Bobby Portis said. 鈥淣obody mentions us about championships. Nobody mentions us about Christmas. Nobody says anything about the Bucks."
There was plenty of unwanted conversation about the Bucks last season.
Milwaukee was at the center of much second-guessing while dealing with all sorts of upheaval.
The Bucks just before training camp. They just 43 games into his coaching tenure and Counting the playoffs, Milwaukee had Antetokounmpo, three-time All-Star forward Khris Middleton and Lillard all available for only .
They鈥檙e hoping a little more stability leads to a lot more success.
鈥淭his year we have a little bit more time to be prepared,鈥� Antetokounmpo said. 鈥淗aving one year of working together, me and Dame, and a few months with the coaching staff. That鈥檚 also a benefit. We鈥檒l take it day by day and try to build it, and hopefully that will put us in a better position to compete.鈥�
Lillard could benefit most of all. A year ago, he spent pretty much the entire offseason awaiting his destination after from Portland. Now he finally had a summer to prepare for a season knowing the people he鈥檚 going to be working alongside.
He has spoken about how the Bucks will see the of himself this year.
鈥淣ow we鈥檝e been in something together,鈥� Lillard said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e experienced some struggles together and some failure. We鈥檙e coming into a new year much more familiar with each other, just being connected over the summer. I know Giannis鈥� game better than I did when I got here. I鈥檓 more familiar with Doc than when he got here. I鈥檓 more familiar with Khris and the rest of the guys on the team than when I first got here.
鈥淪o we don鈥檛 have to go through that process again this time. It鈥檚 just let鈥檚 keep the ball rolling and get down to business.鈥�
The makeup of this team, with veterans leading the way and young guys filling out the roster, has Rivers drawing parallels to the Boston Celtics squads he coached earlier in his career. Rivers won his lone title with Boston in 2008.
鈥淲e were having this discussion as a staff, and I don鈥檛 want to compare any teams, and I made the comment this is the closest team that I鈥檝e had to that Boston team,鈥� Rivers said.
The Bucks didn鈥檛 make the sweeping changes that they did a year earlier, when Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen departed as part of the trade that brought in Lillard.
Milwaukee must replace Malik Beasley, who signed with the Detroit Pistons after starting 77 games. It added veteran free agents Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince and Delon Wright while losing Jae Crowder and Patrick Beverley. Thanasis Antetokounmpo, Giannis鈥� brother, also is no longer on the roster as he recovers from a torn Achilles tendon.
But the main players all are back, and they鈥檝e had time to adjust to Rivers, who sent the Bucks out of town for training camp at Irvine, California, to foster more team-building excursions.
鈥淭he vibe hasn鈥檛 been this good in years,鈥� Portis said.
None of this will matter if the Bucks are unable to stay healthy. Injuries have hindered the Bucks as much anything else over the last three seasons.
A knee injury prevented from playing in a second-round loss to Boston in 2022. and much of a third in a in 2023 with a back issue and didn鈥檛 play the entire first-round series against Indiana last year because of a
Avoiding injuries could prove tricky for this team because of its aging roster. Three of its key players are 33 or older: Middleton (33), Lillard (34) and 7-footer Brook Lopez (36). Antetokounmpo, who turns 30 on Dec. 6, plays at such a forceful level that it will always make him an injury risk.
Even last season, the Bucks often were dominant in the rare occasions when Antetokounmpo, Lillard, Middleton and Lopez were all on the floor together. If the Bucks gain the chemistry and health that they lacked last year, they just might reassert themselves as legitimate title contenders again.
鈥淵ou hope with all your veterans, they all make this choice (that) it鈥檚 time, it鈥檚 time to focus on winning only,鈥� Rivers said. 鈥淏ecause I always think with every team, it has to be the right time. And I really believe this is a group that is in that mental place. It鈥檚 time. Or, it鈥檚 time again, for some of them.鈥�
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AP NBA:
Steve Megargee, The Associated Press
