Having lost seven straight games, Giannis Antetokounmpo wants to see the Milwaukee Bucks change their mental approach to turn things around.
Speaking to reporters after Friday’s 118-109 loss to the New York Knicks, Antetokounmpo wants to see the Bucks focus on a “winning mindset” to get back on track.
“Nobody should have a personal agenda,” said Antetokounmpo. “Nobody should worry about what they want from themselves. Worry only about winning mentality. Winning mindset. The more we can win the games, the more everything takes care of itself.”
One specific thing Antetokounmpo called out was the way some of his teammates would allow a missed shot to linger in their mind for a period of time after it happened:
“You cannot worry about one shot or two shots that you miss, which took four seconds out of the game to dictate 47 minutes, 56 seconds of the game. So, we got to get back to that mindset. We got to get into the mindset that we got to compete. We got to get to the mindset that this is not a one-man show, that we have to do it together.”
The previous four games the Bucks lost were without Antetokounmpo, who suffered a left adductor strain against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 17.
Antetokounmpo returned to the lineup on Friday and looked exactly like he always does. The two-time NBA MVP finished with 30 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists in 28 minutes against the Knicks.
Milwaukee’s scoring has fallen off a cliff after a hot start. The Bucks ranked ninth in offensive rating in their first 13 games, but they are last in that category during this seven-game losing skid.
Some of that decline in production can be attributed to the games Antetokounmpo sat out, but it also speaks to how flawed the roster is around him that they fell that far.
The last time the Bucks lost seven consecutive games was during Antetokounmpo’s rookie season in 2013-14. They finished that season with the worst record in franchise history (15-67).
Milwaukee currently sits at 8-12 and 11th in the Eastern Conference. It is one of five teams in the East with a losing record entering play on Saturday.
The schedule does set up for the Bucks to get back on track. Their next two games are against the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards before hosting the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 3.