MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Bucks held Media Day on Monday before heading to California for Training Camp. Despite losing in the first round of the playoffs, the Bucks still think they are championship contenders.
It’s been over three years since the Bucks won the NBA title. Nationally, they’re no longer considered one of the teams most favored to win it all. They’re not pouting about it.
“We all pay attention to it,” said Bucks Head Coach Doc Rivers. “I mean, we see it; we read it. You’re not playing on Christmas. There’s a lot of little things that you can use. I don’t think I have to use them. I think it’ll use itself.”
“I think we’ve always been overlooked,” said Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. “I’m not going to lie, to be honest, I haven’t paid attention to the moves that other teams made.”
His teammates echoed that sentiment.
“We should have had a Christmas Day game, I believe,” said Bucks swingman Khris Middleton. “The NBA felt different. That’s how they feel. I said my opinion on it, and sometimes it happens. Sometimes it doesn’t. I’m not going to use that. I don’t think — I don’t need that as extra motivation or whatever.”
The Bucks are confident in their abilities.
“No question, I think that we can [win the title],” said Bucks center Brook Lopez. “Our guys are definitely hungry. I think we’ve been hungry these past couple of years. Things have gone the way they’ve gone, unfortunately, but we’re all here, ready, prepared.
The Bucks are particularly optimistic because Rivers will be their coach in Training Camp for the first time. Plus, they’ve had time to adjust to the playing style of Damian Lillard.
“It was a hard year,” said Lillard, who was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to Milwaukee last year shortly before Training Camp. “It took for me to be removed from it, kind of deep into the summer, to be like, ‘Man, that was just that was a crazy year, you know?’ It was just a blur. I feel like everything happened so fast. Having to just get up and and go. I think I came here two days before camp started.”
The Bucks have two preseason games. The first on Thursday, Oct. 10, against the Los Angeles Lakers and the second on Monday, Oct. 14, against the Chicago Bulls.