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Things don't seem to be getting better for the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It certainly wasn't pretty on Wednesday night as the Oklahoma City Thunder handed the Bucks a 20-point loss that never even felt that close, a game in which Giannis had shockingly low usage.
The stat of the night was that Antetokounmpo attempted just 11 shots from the floor. He made eight of them and had 19 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists.
But on the season, Antetokounmpo averages 16.5 shots per game. The only two times this season he has taken fewer than 11 shots were when he left games early with injuries.
Afterward, when asked about the shot total, Antetokounmpo was befuddled.
"I don't understand," Antetokounmpo told reporters. "Maybe because we're young. Maybe because we're not playing well. Maybe because guys think it's their turn. I really don't get it. I really don't. Maybe I gotta do it more to (demand the ball)."
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One would think that a game against the defending champion Thunder would be exactly the one where you try to get Antetokounmpo the ball early and often.
Obviously, he's also a strong distributor, shown in part by his seven assists. He's not going to force too many shots.
But it also clearly was a night when he was going well, yet the Bucks didn't look for tons of ways to get him the ball.
They fell to 18-25 on the season with the loss, and although Antetokounmpo has said he'll never request a trade, the future continues to get shakier with Giannis in Milwaukee, especially on nights like this.
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