Giannis Antetokounmpo has no concerns over the Milwaukee Bucks' poor preseason results but does want to see an improvement to the team's "habits".
The Bucks are 0-5 in exhibition games following a 107-97 defeat to the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday, a clash in which Antetokounmpo had 24 points on the back of 6-for-21 shooting and grabbed 14 rebounds.
While such results may seem at odds with the Bucks' standing as one of the favourites for the NBA title this coming campaign, Antetokounmpo acknowledged there is plenty of time to find rhythm during the regular season.
However, the Greek superstar wants to see an improvement with some basics on the floor.
"It doesn't worry me," Antetokounmpo said. "What worries me is our habits and building good habits.
"Right now, we're not vocal enough. We're not urgent enough. We're not hungry enough. But at the end of the day, it's the preseason. We have the whole regular season to find ourselves."
Having featured for Greece at Eurobasket during the close season, Antetokounmpo has had his minutes carefully managed by the Bucks, with the Nets game just his second tune-up action.
While conceding to feeling "a little bit out of rhythm", Antetokounmpo is ready to once again set the tone for the Bucks.
"It's not going to be easy. I think sometimes your mind forgets and thinks it's going to be easy. But I feel like, me personally, you've got to come out and set the tone, play hard," he added.
"Build good habits, play to improve, play for the team. And as a team, we have to be hungry, we've got to play together, we have to defend better."
Grayson Allen (illness), Pat Connaughton (calf) and Wesley Matthews (ankle) were all absent against the Nets - the latter having sat out all of the Bucks' warm-up matches.
Khris Middleton will definitely miss their season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers having only recently returned to practice following wrist surgery.
But Antetokounmpo has confidence in the depth of the roster.
"Guys are down, who knows when they're going to get back, so this is who we have right now," he said.
"We still have a great team, but we're seven or eight days from the next game and when it really counts. We've got to buckle down and start trying to build good habits."
Jamaica’s men successfully navigate qualifying round at FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup in Puerto Rico
Jamaica’s Men’s 3x3 Basketball team successfully navigated Thursday’s qualifying round at the FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Drawn in qualifying group B alongside Mexico and Guatemala, they finished with a record of 1-1 to advance.
They lost 13-22 to Mexico before rebounding with a 21-13 win over Guatemala.
They will take on the USA and Argentina in Pool A on Saturday.
Magic savour 'special' Washington triumph after record-equalling ninth straight win
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero and coach Jamahl Mosley both lauded a "special" night for the team as they equalled the franchise's record winning run by overcoming the Washington Wizards.
Banchero finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds and seven assists, while Franz Wagner had a game-high 31 points as Orlando beat Washington for the second time in two days on Friday, clinching a 130-125 success at Amway Center.
The victory was Orlando's ninth in a row, taking them to 14-5 for the season and matching their longest ever streak, with the team having previously won nine straight in 1994, 2001 and 2010-11.
Orlando are one of just two NBA franchises – along with the Indiana Pacers – to never enjoy a double-digit winning run, but they have the chance to do so for the first time when they visit the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday.
"It's pretty special," Banchero said of the team's run, which began with the first of back-to-back road wins over the Chicago Bulls on November 15.
"Eventually I think a loss is going to come, but we just want to keep it rolling for as long as we can.
"But you're not surprised when you do something like this because we've got great chemistry and we play really well together."
Orlando are up to second in the Eastern Conference, with only the 15-4 Boston Celtics and the 14-4 Minnesota Timberwolves boasting better records across the entire league.
Head coach Mosley said: "It's a big time for this group, but more importantly, I think it's a big time for the fans and the organisation.
"There's an energy, there's a vibe, a buzz about this group, and our guys are doing a good job of embracing it, not getting too high or too low but being able to register that this is something special."
Jamaica women through to quarterfinals of FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup in Puerto Rico
Jamaica’s women’s basketball team has advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The Jamaicans got through qualifying on Thursday’s opening day with a pair of dominant wins over Nicaragua (21-1) and the Cayman Islands (22-3), respectively, while suffering a narrow 14-22 defeat to Colombia in between those games.
Friday saw them go 1-1 in Pool D play, losing to Puerto Rico 14-16 in overtime before beating Mexico 16-14, to advance to the quarterfinals.
They will tackle Brazil in the quarters on Saturday afternoon.
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