The weird and wacky world of basketball! We truly see it all the time now, a great example would be the Bucks. Another one would be the Suns, this is so strange that it is not funny.
If you didn’t listen to our podcast, then you probably didn’t hear about the prediction I made about Giannis and the Bucks.
I predicted that the Bucks were going to have a dunk-fest, mainly Giannis, on the Nets. Sadly, it was the complete opposite. Please share to me how the Nets, who don’t have Dinwiddie, KD, or Kyrie, can beat the Bucks?
Throughout the whole game, especially early on, the Bucks were trailing to the Nets. LUWAWU-CABARROT and Temple combined for 45 points! The Nets, despite horrible roster, are 2-1. The only loss they had was at the hands of the Magic.
Take this into perspective; the Bucks have Giannis, Bledsoe, Middleton, and Korver. But they still couldn’t win, this hasn’t been a pretty sight for the Bucks as they lost back-to-back games. One against the Rockets and now the Nets.
The Nets, who lost their three key players, have been playing their second team/rotational players and winning. On top of that Jamal Crawford came back to the league for his debut as a Net in the Bubble; sadly, it ended short with an apparent hamstring issue.
What are the next two games for both of these teams?
For the Nets, they have to go up against the Celtics. This is happening today on ESPN for anyone that wants to watch. Even though the Nets are riding on the hot-wave of momentum, the Celtics should not lose. The Celtics have Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kemba Walker. That’s a pretty stacked team, just by looking at those three players.
Now, I will say, there is no advantage here. Meaning this, that both teams are going to be playing back-to-back games. In the sense of yesterday and today, now the Nets are on a two-game win streak while the Celtics aren’t. If the Nets come away with this win, then this is a team to look out for. Because that would make them 3-1, imagine that.
Finally, to the Bucks. On the sixth, the Bucks will be playing the Heat. This could be a tough matchup, but I still have to believe that Giannis and his team will prevail against the Heat. If the Heat doesn’t have Jimmy Butler back, it’s over. Giannis, Middleton, and Bledsoe will run wild in Miami. The Bucks need this for a confidence booster and to get on the path of success.
The underdogs pouncing viciously!
I’m not kidding when I use that phrase, the Suns are the ultimate underdogs and have been pouncing on their prey (meaning opponents). The Suns yesterday, closed out an epic game against the Clippers. Where Devin Booker hit the game-winner, winning it 117-115. Booker was explosive from the arc, Ayton was finding his rhythm, and Rubio made things happen passing wise.
The Suns have earned their third win in the Bubble, which makes them 3-0. They are undefeated in the Bubble, this is a miracle unto itself. The eighth seed is wide open now, how? Because teams are losing, the Grizzlies lost Jaren Jackson Jr to an untimely injury, and the Suns just past the Kings with this win today.
If they make it 8-0, which is a higher probability then what it was a month ago, they will be in the playoffs. They have been showing us that without the fans, without practicing for several months, and with a tough schedule; they have been showing us that they are hungry to win. Suns beat the Clippers and the Mavericks, two big-time teams.
With fate, luck, and whatever else is on their side; this could be the Sun’s year in 10 years to reach the playoffs. The talent has been meshing together nicely, players been scoring holding their grounds, and no crucial errors have happened yet. The Suns have the favor on their side, with all this moment they should be able to beat the Pacers this upcoming game.
What do the Pacers need to do to stop them?
This has been the team climbing up the ranks in the Bubble, this is a team that nobody can sleep on. The Pacers need to focus their attention on Booker, he has been having the hot-hand lately. The Pacers need to trap him, not letting him create his own shots, and especially when driving. If they fail then Booker will be getting all the attention and leaving DeAndre or Rubio open for the easy basket.
This certainly will be interesting on how the rest unfolds, it feels like everything has been swapped. Like the Bucks are playing like the Suns and the Suns like the Bucks. Either way, the Bucks are in the playoffs. Have one of the best records in the league, and the Suns are fighting for a spot. The underdogs have now put themselves on notice. The radar is beeping fast, can teams respond quick enough?
Get to know more about our content and our shop!
Thank you for reading today’s article called, “The weird and wacky world of basketball!”
According to multiple reports, spearheaded by Marc Stein, it’s looking like no deals for Kevin Durant will materialize until teams are given full confirmation on whether Giannis Antetokounmpo is leaving the Milwaukee Bucks or not.
There is a strong feeling that teams would rather get the younger, less injury-prone, superstar in a blockbuster deal. Per numerous reports, teams who have interest in Durant also have significant interest in Giannis.
As it came out a couple weeks ago, for the first time in his career, Antetokounmpo is becoming more open-minded to leaving his Milwaukee franchise. A bombshell all into itself.
While Milwaukee is looking to keep their franchise player, Phoenix is wanting to do the exact opposite.
ESPN’s Shams Charania says this summer’s offseason will be one of the most explosive, headline-making offseason’s in league history.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie, rival teams around the league believe the Milwaukee Bucks haven’t given up on Giannis Antetokounmpo and want to keep him.
With news of Antetokounmpo being open to going to a new team and teams like the Brooklyn Nets wanting to go all-in for him, this could become a likely scenario where the NBA champion takes his talents somewhere else for the betterment of his career.
For Milwaukee, they have limited draft capital that won’t allow them to have a prosperous future – if solely relied upon. In addition to that, with Damian Lillard being out next season due to a torn Achilles and the Kyle Kuzma trade being a failure, Giannis would be the only thing keeping them relevant enough to compete in an ever-growing Eastern Conference.
On the flipside of keeping him, per numerous reports and breakdowns, if general manager Jon Horst were to trade Antetokounmpo, then they could recoup some of their draft capital and get a solid player or two back in a trade to keep them Play-In (or better) bound.
It’s expected Antetokounmpo and his representatives will meet with the franchise soon to discuss their relationship, the future, if they are entering a rebuild period, and if Giannis wants to stick around.
Next season, the 30-year-old will have his new extension kick into action. In the first year, Antetokounmpo will be making $54.1 million. His second year will see him making $58.4 million, with his third year making him $62.7 million. The third year is a player option.
The overall contract is a three-year, $175.3 million extension. This will be the first time in his career where he’ll be making at least $50 million a season.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the entire upcoming NBA offseason will be predicated upon Giannis Antetokounmpo’s decision to either remain with the Milwaukee Bucks or request a trade.
Following the Bucks up-and-down season, their increasingly failing postseason run, and the recent Damian Lillard injury news, there has been an spike in speculation and reports surrounding Antetokounmpo’s future with the Bucks.
Despite him signing an extension with the organization after acquiring Lillard, his future with the Bucks is up in the air. Many are saying Milwaukee’s championship window is officially closing or closed, with no signs of them being able to reopen it.
Giannis has said repeatedly, publicly, that he wants to compete for another championship. He has always stressed the importance of remaining competitive.
“The question for the whole NBA is ‘what does Giannis do about it?'” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said on NBA Today. “Does Giannis indicate to the team he wants to stay put and remain a Buck going forward. Or does Giannis indicate he may want to look around? If the answer is B, the entire NBA offseason will hinge on it.”
With Brook Lopez being 37 years old, Lillard being 34 years old (with a recently torn Achilles), no control over their own picks, and not many young players to build around Giannis, the “Greek Freak” superstar may not see the Bucks as a destination to win anymore.
Some reports have disclosed either the Brooklyn Nets or New York Knicks as a team where he would want to join.
In the 2024-25 season, the 30-year-old averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in 67 appearances.
