Giannis: NBA Players 'Kind of Enjoy' Steph Curry Being out Since He's so Good

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo said Saturday the broken hand that's sidelined the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry for most of the 2019-20 NBA season has made things easier for the league's other top players and teams.

"Let me be honest with you. The players, we kind of enjoy that he's not playing—not enjoy that he's hurt," Antetokounmpo told reporters. "We want him to be healthy, but he just makes it way, way tougher for the rest of the league."

The Warriors are having a lost season. Kevin Durant exited via a sign-and-trade, Klay Thompson is likely to miss the entire campaign while recovering from a torn ACL and Curry remains without a firm timetable to return.

In turn, Golden State owns the NBA's worst record at 12-43, and its five-year dynastic run of reaching the NBA Finals will end.

The Dubs' long-term outlook remains strong, though. Curry and Thompson should return next season, the team acquired Andrew Wiggins ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline, Draymond Green remains in place and they're on pace to receive a high 2020 draft pick.

So those four players paired with a prized prospect—center James Wiseman looks like the best fit on paper—could push Golden State back into the title conversation for 2021.

Meanwhile, Antetokounmpo and the Bucks have emerged as the NBA's predominant team. Their 46-8 record is 4.5 games better than the second-placed Los Angeles Lakers (41-12) at the All-Star break.

The Greek Freak has also put himself at the forefront to win the MVP award for the second straight season. He's averaging 30.0 points, 13.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks while shooting 54.9 percent from the field across 48 appearances.

While the MVP and NBA title races are wide open this season, Curry and the Warriors should rejoin the discussion next year. It sounds like Giannis and Co. are enjoying the one-year reprieve from Golden State's run of dominance, though.