Please Do Not Reference Talen Horton-Tucker As A Reason Giannis Won’t Win A Title In Milwaukee

Giannis Antetokounmpo will be with the Milwaukee Bucks for the foreseeable future after putting pen to paper on his 5-year, $228 million supermax extension, with an opt-out for the fifth year. Giannis joins a short list of players that have signed the supermax deal and puts to rest the rumors that have swirled for a year-plus about his potential future outside of Milwaukee.

That incessant conversation on sports television, radio, and beyond has been frustrating for many fans who have grown tired of the constant discussion of a star player’s future, particularly those in small or non-glamorous markets who are so often projected to leave for the league’s flagship franchises. So, when SportsCenter called up Jay Williams for his thoughts on Giannis’ extension, Bucks fans found themselves rolling their eyes when the conversation turned to whether he can win a title in Milwaukee.

Williams responded with something that is very viable, which is for the next few years LeBron James and Anthony Davis stand in the way of anyone looking to win a championship, but his discussion of the Lakers depth took a decidedly shocking twist as he brought up second-year man Talen Horton-Tucker, who has been great this preseason but, again, it’s the preseason.

Again, the general premise here isn’t wrong. The Bucks won’t be favorites this year or, likely, any year until after they’ve won a championship already or made another big move, simply because the Lakers exist and have two of the league’s five best players. That said, when discussing why the Lakers are an impediment to anyone’s title dreams, I beg of you, the first name out of your mouth cannot be Talen Horton-Tucker, who seems to be a nice young player but figures to be maybe the 11th man off the bench in L.A. this year.