“The Giannis thing is just weird” – Bill Simmons saw signs that things aren’t rosy between Giannis and Adrian Griffin

Simmons also pointed out an instance when Antetokounmpo ignored Griffin after getting subbed out.

Bill Simmons is in Las Vegas to watch the final two rounds of the NBA In-Season Tournament. On his recent podcast episode, he shared some of his takeaways from the surprisingly thrilling tournament, including a few from the matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers.

The Ringer founder noticed some interesting developments with Milwaukee, such as potential troubles brewing between superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and coach Adrian Griffin. A telltale sign of the disconnect between the two is that Antetokounmpo would rather sit on the scorers’ table than join his teammates during timeouts.

“The Giannis thing is just weird,” Simmons said of what he saw in the arena. “Every time there’s a timeout, he sits on the scorers’ table for like 40 seconds.”

Shunning the rookie coach
If it’s true that Antetokounmpo would rather stay away from the huddle during timeouts, then that might indicate the superstar’s disdain for the coaching staff. It’s difficult to think that the reason behind his actions is his teammates, as he seems to be getting along well with Damian Lillard and has always had great relationships with his longtime teammates.

Could things have changed already just over a month after stating that he wanted to be in Milwaukee?

"It was the first time in my NBA career I didn't know the number of my contract. I just signed it because I wanted to be here."

Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn't sure when his new contract extension runs through (2026-27 season with a player option 2027-28). pic.twitter.com/uXAB7nNcaf

— Scott Grodsky (@ScottGrodsky) October 24, 2023

All signs point to Giannis being at odds with Griffin, who doesn’t appear to be succeeding in managing the locker room well. Another piece of evidence that Simmons presented was when the coach subbed out the two-time MVP, who seemingly didn’t like the decision.

“Griffin took him out, and the guy comes in,” Bill added. “… And he was pissed, and he walked out. Griffin was at half court. Every time a player walks by the coach, they do the slap, five, or whatever. It was just fu*king walked by him, just silence. Then he came back in two minutes later. But we were like, ‘Woah.’ ‘Cause we were sitting right there watching.”

Walking on eggshells

The organization brought Griffin in the past offseason over the likes of Nick Nurse and Kenny Atkinson because it believed in his leadership, character, and ability to run high-quality defense. More importantly, the hire seemed to have Antetokounmpo’s vote of confidence.

Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo vouched for Adrian Griffin to become the franchise’s next head coach, sources tell @NBAonTNT, @BleacherReport.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) May 27, 2023

But now, some people in Milwaukee might regret the decision as Giannis doesn’t look like a happy camper.

Of course, people should try not to overreact to the Bucks’ possible conundrum. After all, they are still in a good spot and just one game behind the top seed in the Eastern Conference. While folks quickly harp on the team’s unfortunate loss to the Indiana Pacers in Las Vegas, they should remember that Milwaukee made it to the semifinal round, which is no easy feat.

Griffin probably shouldn’t be too confident because his squad has championship aspirations. Any result that doesn’t bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy in Milwaukee might be seen as a failure. So, he must find ways to establish a positive relationship with his superstars. Otherwise, his first-ever head coaching stint could turn out to be brief.