Monday Morning Media Roundup: February 20th, 2023

Giannis Antetokounmpo is, first and foremost, an entertainer. So much so that, instead of using a sprained wrist as a convenient (and somewhat legit) excuse to skip All-Star weekend in Salt Lake City for warmer climes, he showed up, performed in nearly every event, and even suited up for a brief appearance in the All-Star Game itself. That is doing right by the traditions of the league and one of its premier events.

The more interesting development, however, was Coach Giannis leading his team of all guards to ultimate victory over Team LeBron. Look at this roster!

Given Giannis sitting after his first basket, that’s like, three big dudes and all shooters. And yet... and yet Giannis barely even did anything on the court, and was still able to get his team to drop 184 points. It is the kind of showcase that should have GM Jon Horst feeling both proud and a little apprehensive. If Giannis is able to more or less pick names out of a hat blindfolded and have them post such incredible offensive numbers, how long until Antetokounmpo starts wondering if he couldn’t do the same with each summer’s bottom of the barrel free agent class?

The trainee becomes the master, the master becomes irrelevant. A tale as old as time. Scoot over, LeGM — there’s a new player-lead executive on the rise and on his way to NYC as we speak.

Let’s roundup!

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18 examples of Jrue Holiday’s awesomeness, ranked (Milwaukee Record)

Good bit, lot of fun highlights, and a proper celebration of Jrue who feels like he’s been a Buck far longer than the internet says he has. He might not show up for 85% of any given game, but that 15%? Pure gut-wrenching magic.

After scuffling with injuries, the Bucks are once again looking like a league power (Yahoo)

A longer look at the resurgent Bucks and the bevy of ways they now have on-hand to beat opponents. Much will be made about how Jae Crowder was acquired with the Celtics almost exclusively in mind, but we shouldn’t discount the possibility of his being useful against plenty of other playoff teams as well. What matters is that the Bucks have, in theory, answers to a lot of puzzles opponents can throw their way.

NBA Stats Notebook: The Milwaukee Bucks are on a shot-making stampede (Basketballnews.com)

Ironically, this post spends a lot of time praising Jevon Carter — who is worthy of compliments having gone from Nets castaway to guy who might make real money in free agency. However, his gaudy raw shooting numbers do cover up the fact that some of the shot selection is iffy at the best of times. The optimistic take is he provides the Bucks another shot maker outside the traditional flow of the offense, I suppose.

After battling Bucks in the Finals, Jae Crowder gets ready for a title run in Milwaukee (Boston Globe)

A longer piece that assembles a lot of quotes from Jae’s introductory press conference last week. I get the sense that, even if the Bucks don't have firm plans about a future Crowder contract at the moment, Jae was left watching on the sidelines long enough that he’ll be motivated to perform for a deal no matter who it comes from. If the falling out in Phoenix truly was just a money issue, that reduces the short-term personality fit concerns in my opinion.

Celtics, Bucks on a collision course for a postseason showdown? (ESPN)

In before we’re eliminated by the Heat and the Celtics are sent packing by the Wizards in the first round of the playoffs.

Fan Post of the Week

It looks like the community collective is starting to actively work to deny solitary tumbleweed further glory. In line with this past weekend’s festivities, JSOnline Castaway 2.0 has put together a proposal for The People’s All-Star Weekend in, “The New-And-Improved All Star Weekend”. The one event I’d like to put up for consideration that didn’t make JSOC’s list? Grand Dancer Dance Off.

Know Your Enemy (Until SBNation Ceases to Exist)

Miami Heat - Hot Hot Hoops - Should Kevin Love start at power forward?

• Love has had a strange run-of-the-mill career, going from Minnesota to Cleveland, and now ultimately ending up in Miami after getting bought out by a lightly contending Cavaliers team. More interesting than whether he’ll automatically play 20 minutes a night as a starter is the Heat fan commenter stating Pat Riley can be forgiven for falling asleep at the trade deadline wheel if he can nab Love, Serge Ibaka (lol), and Russell Westbrook (lol) for free. Tough times on South Beach.

Phoenix Suns - Bright Side of the Sun - Kevin Durant on helping push the Suns to their first-ever championship

• There is all the potential for this union to go well, but also ample room for it to implode like so many other superteam experiments have. From my POV, we survived some of the dumbest garbage shot making in the Finals with Devin Booker and Chris Paul on the other side. We can survive a torrent of garbage buckets with KD out there too.

The Social Media Section

God Emperor Goof endearing himself to Grant Williams prior to a playoff showdown?

Also, further evidence of Giannis having actually zero intention of leaving Milwaukee

Pray to whatever divine being you may or may not believe in that Marc Davis doesn’t get assigned a Finals game reffing for us

Congrats to Melanie for taking part now in four All-Star weekends herself! A great local rep for the team and city.

You legit didn’t have a fallback if being an NBA player didn’t pan out?

Fine, I’ll broadcast every Bucks game

“Bday dump”

Until he signs with a team in the second-tier of Spanish pro ball, Serge will continue to count as an honorary Buck for Social Media Section purposes

The Antetokounmpos are genuinely the only people excited to actually be at All-Star weekend

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Riley’s 2022-2023 Weekly Prediction Record: 31-27

Milwaukee’s Actual 2022-2023 Record: 41-17

Quick week coming out of the All-Star break for the Bucks with just two games on deck, both at home. The team will return on Friday to host the plodding Miami Heat and will then face the Phoenix Suns in a noon tipoff national TV game on ABC.

A win over the Heat should be in the cards, hopefully with Jae Crowder making his debut, and I expect a loss against the Suns since 1) We’re normally horrible in early starting games and 2) It’ll add the right amount of fuel to the “nobody is stopping the Suns” narrative when KD debuts and scores 23 points on us in a Suns W. Adam Silver’s storylines must stay intact.

Happy Monday!