Giannis Antetokounmpo takes aim at ‘selfish’ Milwaukee Bucks team-mates after heavy defeat

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo has delivered a scathing assessment of his team's recent struggles, attributing a string of heavy defeats to a profound lack of chemistry and selfish play among his teammates.

The two-time MVP's comments follow a dismal 122-102 loss to an injury-depleted Oklahoma City side on Wednesday, marking the Bucks' fourth defeat in their last five outings.

Alarmingly, their three most recent losses have all been by margins of at least 18 points, highlighting a worrying trend of capitulation.

When questioned about the common threads in these blowout defeats, Antetokounmpo did not mince words.

"We’re not playing hard," he stated. "We aren’t doing the right thing. We’re not playing to win. We’re not playing together. Our chemistry’s not there. Guys are being selfish, trying to look for their own shots instead of looking for the right shot for the team. Guys trying to do it on their own."

He added: "At times, I feel like when we’re down 10, down 15, down 20, we try to make it up in one play, and it’s not going to work."

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Midway through the season, the Bucks' once-consistent run of nine consecutive playoff appearances now hangs in the balance.

With a record of 18-25, they languish 11th in the Eastern Conference standings and have failed to secure more than two consecutive victories at any point this campaign.

Adding to their woes, the team faces an indefinite period without Kevin Porter Jr., who is second in points per game (16.8) and leads in assists per game (7.4).

Porter is sidelined with an oblique strain, with coach Doc Rivers confirming: "He’s not going to play anytime soon, I can tell you that, but we don’t know how long he’ll be out."

Despite the team's struggles, Antetokounmpo's own involvement appears to be diminishing, with the superstar attempting 13 field goals or fewer in his last four games, including just 11 against Oklahoma City.

He expressed his reluctance to overtly demand the ball, saying: "I’m not the guy that will yell and cuss his teammate out and demand the ball. I’ve never done that in my career."

However, he voiced frustration that teammates do not seem to grasp the impact he can have.

"But maybe for some reason, I don’t understand — maybe because we’re young, maybe because we’re not playing well, maybe because guys think it’s their turn, they want to carry the team on their back and try to turn this around – but I really don’t get it. I really don’t."

He revealed he has been advised to adopt a more aggressive stance, referencing a "black swan" analogy: "They told me there’s this thing that’s called the white swan and black swan, that you’ve got to be the black swan and be more aggressive and demand the ball. It’s something I haven’t done, that I’ve never done my whole career. Maybe I’ve got to do it more."