Giannis: Bucks Not Facing 'Championship or Bust' Expectations in 2020-21

The Milwaukee Bucks may be looking and acting like a "championship or bust" organization, but their MVP apparently disagrees.

"I don't believe this is a championship-or-bust situation. [But] nobody wants to win a championship more than me," Giannis Antetokounmpo told reporters Wednesday at his media session.

The Bucks acted like a franchise with its proverbial back against the wall this offseason, trading five draft picks (three first-round picks and two swaps) as part of a deal that landed them Jrue Holiday. They also took a swing-and-miss at a sign-and-trade for Bogdan Bogdanovic and made a series of odd, cap-related errors that were arguably more signs of the understandable desperation permeating in Milwaukee. 

Antetokounmpo's comments are both a necessary way to quell public scrutiny and a little odd, given he is the reason the Bucks are absolutely feeling "championship or bust" potential. If this were a championship-or-bust situation in Antetokounmpo's eyes, the ink would have been dry on the supermax contract that's been sitting in front of him for weeks.

Instead, Giannis has given no indication he plans to sign the contract that would pay him around a quarter of a billion dollars and keep him in Milwaukee for five more seasons. He has until Dec. 21 to make that decision, but the fact that the deal has not been signed yet is a decent indication Giannis doesn't want to put all his eggs in the Milwaukee basket.

That creates pressure that is both understandable—Giannis desperately wants a championship, with the Bucks or not—and potentially crippling. The Bucks folded in each of the last two postseasons.

While Holiday is often mentioned by players as the game's most underrated star, he has one All-Star selection to his name (in 2012-13, no less) and has never made an All-NBA team. It's fair to wonder if his acquisition is enough to put Milwaukee over the top.

If it's not, the Bucks' big offseason bet may go bust.