Antetokounmpo: “As if we didn’t know what to do”

Harsh self-criticism on behalf of everyone in their ranks Bucks did the John Antetokounmpo after loss to the Pacers in the semifinals of the In Season Tournament.

“We should be more organized and know what to do at the end of the games. It’s about effort and mindset. The Pacers played defense, got rebounds, were tougher than us and better. Their bench kicked our ass! Nothing should be taken for granted. Sometimes I felt like we didn’t know what to do and it cost us. We will have to watch the video of the match and improve. It is not easy to train in the NBA with a game every other day, which is not the case in Europe“, he emphasized.

“We have a lot of talent, but we need to be more organized. Sometimes I feel that we are not organized at all, in defense and attack. Our chemistry will only get better as time goes on. We should want it more though. Sometimes I feel that we think that someone will give us the game because we have good players, but if you don’t come out and play, the opponent will not respect you. I don’t want to put the blame on anyone. The players are the ones who play the game. If you don’t turn in defense it is not the coach’s responsibility or if you throw the ball into the hands of the opponents. We should discuss it among ourselves, talk as a group. It is up to us, we have the talent and experience to deal with it“, he added.

At the same time, he recognized the value of the winners. “Hats off to Halliburton. He was amazing, had 27 points and 15 assists without a mistake. It’s like a machine, it doesn’t make mistakes. He made the right decisions at the end, hit big shots and didn’t make any mistakes. The Pacers played really well, they beat us twice this year, they beat the Celtics and they’re on a really good run. They have a great coach with an amazing system“, he said.