As the days go by, we gradually move closer to witnessing the NBA making its comeback. After a period of four and a half months, 22 out of the 30 teams in the league will battle it out in a revised regular-season format. Even though his team is comfortably sitting on a confirmed playoff position, Giannis Antetokounmpo knows he has a lot of work ahead of him. 

The Milwaukee Bucks star was averaging 29.6 points and 13.7 rebounds per game prior to the league’s suspension. Moreover, the Bucks led by Giannis stand atop the Eastern Conference, holding the best record in the NBA. When the season resumes, the team has an uphill task of achieving their goal, which is to win the championship. 

To assert his fans about his undivided focus on the championship, reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo posted a recent update on Twitter. The 25-year-old added a photo of him in the locker room, and topped it with a quote that highlights his responsibility as the Bucks’ franchise player. Here is what Giannis posted:

“My will shall shape my future. Whether I fail or succeed shall be no man’s doing but my own. I am the force; I can clear any obstacle before me, or I can be lost in a maze. My choice, my responsibility, win or lose, only I hold the key to my destiny. -Elaine Maxwell”

Giannis Antetokounmpo heals like a wizard

When the Bucks played the Los Angeles Lakers in March, the battle between the two MVP contenders ignited on the court. But, besides losing out to the Lakers, the Bucks faced a huge scare as Giannis walked off-the-court after injuring his left knee. 

It was confirmed that he had sustained a minor joint capsule sprain. Consequently, a sense of worry went down in the minds of the Bucks fans. If the league had not been suspended, Giannis’ availability would have been ruled for a few days. Thus, the NBA’s hiatus came hand-in-hand for Giannis to make a complete recovery. 

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer commented on the status of Giannis’ recovery a few weeks ago. He revealed that Giannis is “so tough and he heals so quickly.” Moreover, Budenholzer also confirmed that the ‘Greek Freak’ is in a great place both “mentally and physically.”

Can the Bucks earn their ticket to the NBA Finals?

If you take a look back beyond the 2018-19 NBA season, the playoff record of the Bucks is simply unimpressive. They last made the conference finals in the 2000-01 season (excluding 2018-19). Moreover, they have been frequently exiting the playoffs as early as the first round.

The team last made it to the NBA Finals during the 1973-74 season, when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was part of the franchise. Thus, it is evident that the Bucks need to overturn their postseason woes this season. 

With the prowess of Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the team, the Bucks can hope for a better finish this season. The team displayed great form in 2019 and put up consistent performances in the playoffs. However, they lost to the Toronto Raptors in the conference finals, which ended their campaign. 

Nevertheless, Giannis and his team have a fresh shot at the title this year. They will most likely head in as the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks have been very consistent this season and would hope to get their old charm back when the seasons restarts in Orlando. While the Lakers or the Clippers might stand out as the major title contenders, we just can’t rule out Giannis and the Bucks from the equation.