Tim Bontemps says that Antetokounmpo is the best player in the universe, and that he is the clear Most Valuable Player. There is a time and a place for this. Milwaukee's 9-1 start is the best start in franchise history. The Milwaukee Bucks have assembled a roster of players who know how to complement their star and they are off to a great start. Bobby Portis said that the same guys were in the same roles last year. Guys are familiar with our formula and know what to expect. We already know each other's games and it just flows. The last team to start the season with nine straight victories was the Golden State Warriors. The core of the Warriors' championship was brought back, but Golden State was fueled by the confidence of winning a title the previous year. The Milwaukee Brewers lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Boston Celtics. Jrue Holiday said that the mission wasn't over. I feel like we're locked in. Seven of Milwaukee's first 10 games have been at home and their opponents have a combined winning percentage of.368. With nine wins already under their belt, the Bucks look poised to contend for a second championship thanks to Antetokounmpo's dominant start and a top ranked defense. Milwaukee has helped with the return of key players as its schedule gets harder. There are three reasons to take Milwaukee's hot start serious. With his sixth straight 30-point game, Antetokounmpo tied a career high, as the Bucks matched a franchise record with their seventh straight win to start the season. He remembered the last time the team started the season hot as he sat at his post game news conference. The Bucks opened the season with seven straight victories and went on to win 60 games. The year before, Milwaukee had won 44 games, so it was Antetokounmpo's first taste of victory. It felt different. It is almost like we are doing our job. It's just going to be a competition. We are winning basketball games. There is a bigger goal that we want to achieve here. For the 12th season, the league's best players are ranked by the network. See which stars vaulted to the top and which fell down. The international stars are on the rise.
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Antetokounmpo is staging another MVP campaign
After taking a 2-0 series lead, the Bucks lost four straight games and fell to the Raptors in the conference finals. Even as he starts the season as unstoppable as ever, Antetokounmpo is taking this team's early winning streak in stride.
Through his first nine games, Antetokounmpo is the only player in the NBA to average 30 points and 10 rebound. He leads the NBA in total points in the paint and is tied for the lead in fast break points.
Only one other player in the last 25 seasons has paced the league in both categories.
Antetokounmpo thinks it comes with maturity. I know what I can do. There will be good days and bad days. I am just trying to do the best I can. I'm okay with whatever happens.
The Milwaukee Brewers are the top team in the NBA in defensive efficiency for the third time in five years under coach Mike Budenholzer. It's a return to form after their defense slipped to 14th in defensive efficiency during the 2021-22 regular season, most of which they played without defensive anchorBrook Lopez
According to Second Spectrum, the Bucks are giving up the lowest points per possession against half-court offenses since the 2013-14 Indiana Pacers, while following through on their promise to cut down on the number of 3's they give up. The Bucks are limiting teams to less than 30 3-pointers per game in 2022-23, after allowing opponents to take an NBA record 40.6 3-pointers per game.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the most intelligent teams in the league, according to their coach. They would bet that certain guys were not going to make shots and that burned them in the playoffs with Grant Williams.
For most of the time, they make the right bets. It looks like they're covering everyone more honestly this year.
The two anchor of the defense are Antetokounmpo and Lopez Antetokounmpo has held opponents to 38.6% shooting as the contesting defender, which ranks in the top 10 among qualified players, while Lopez has held opponents to 40.6% shooting in the paint, which is the lowest rate among qualified players.
The two guys just swallow up the rim. "Lopez is parked down there for a long time, and Giannis is coming in like a heat-seeking missile."
While soaking in an ice bath in the locker room, Portis, Lopez and Carter talked about how much room the team thinks it has to improve.
Portis said that they can't get on a high right now because they haven't done anything.
The Bucks are 9-1 despite missing Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton, two of their top six rotation players, and have even won without Antetokounmpo.
The 18th-best offensive rating in the NBA is propped up by Antetokounmpo's and Holiday's strong starts to the season. Players think that both figures will improve as the season goes on, especially once Middleton and Connaughton are back in action.
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The three-time All-Star practiced with the Wisconsin Herd last week. After sitting out this season while recovering from wrist surgery, Milwaukee wants him to take part in a few more practices before he rejoins the team. Budenholzer said over the weekend that he is close to a return and will travel with the team during their season.
The schedule gets more challenging in the second half of the month as the team tries to get both players back in time. Last season, when Holiday, Middleton, Connaughton, and Antetokounmpo shared the floor, the Bucks scored more points than their opponents.
The rest of the month features games against Atlanta, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Portland, Chicago, Dallas and New York.
Portis said that their record doesn't mean anything right now. Guys are trying to find their chemistry and find their way on other teams. At the same time, we're off to a good start, even though we're still trying to gel.
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