The Buck Stops Here

As the final seconds of a 2 OT thriller ticked away, Giannis Antetokounmpo sat on the bench after fouling out. The series is now 2-1 in favor of Milwaukee after the loss they took tonight in Toronto. Even though Giannis had an insane 23 rebounds and 7 assists, He only had 12 points on 5-16 shooting. He seemed to come back to Earth with his play tonight, which also included 8 turnovers. This can also be explained by a nice adjustment made by Toronto after he torched them during game 2.

Giannis has to play better going forward if the Bucks want to move deeper into the playoffs. Many people believe that he is not only the MVP for the regular season but arguably the best player in the league. Some have even speculated that the Bucks led by Antetokounmpo would beat the Warriors in a 7 game series, whether they had a healthy Kevin Durant or not. This notion is absurd. Even though the Bucks finished the regular season with the best record and have so far breezed through the playoffs, this team and Giannis himself still have a lot to prove.

This is not to say the Bucks should be worried about losing this series against the Raptors. They still have home court advantage, a highly respected coach, a solid group of role players, and a rising superstar in Antetokounmpo. It is also worth mentioning that no one is debating that the Toronto Raptors are comparable to Golden State, who the Bucks would most likely face if they reach The Finals.

I just think it's too early to have him in the conversation with players such as Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, and even Lebron James just yet. Everyone can agree that he is unbelievably talented and has great potential. The only problem with putting his name in the conversation for best in the game is that Leonard, Durant, and James all have something he doesn't: rings. He has time, considering the fact he is only 24 years old. The best in the game talk just may be premature. Winning this series and The Finals would obviously change the narrative going forward.