Milwaukee Bucks Point Forward Podcast

By Milwaukee Journal SentinelSports Basketball

Milwaukee Bucks Point Forward Podcast episodes

April 09 Is the Giannis Antetokounmpo saga reaching a boiling point (04.09.2026)
Journal Sentinel reporters Jim Owczarski and Lori Nickel discuss their recent work documenting the rift between the Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Lori talks about her multi-part interview with Giannis, asking what he wants, how he feels and his frustration with not getting cleared to play basketball in the final moments of the season. He talked about his family staying in Greece for part of the season and why he feels so strongly about playing. Will this situation create a rift that proves irreconcilable? Jim discusses what general manager Jon Horst had to say and if the Bucks can truly build a winning roster this offseason to pair with Giannis. Is there a scenario where management wouldn't want Giannis back? How is this all likely to play out? And Doc Rivers definitely won't be back as head coach, right?
52 min
March 31 The tanking Bucks plod toward the finish line; can they keep Giannis happy enough to want to stay? (03.31.2026)
The Milwaukee Bucks have been an afterthought for a while, now clinching a losing record and eliminated from a playoff berth in 2025-26 for the first postseason miss in a decade. Bucks reporter Jim Owczarski and host JR Radcliffe examine the ashes, particularly looking for clues about whether or not Giannis Antetokounmpo will be back next year, and who's ultimately responsible for making that call. The NBA is obsessed with stopping tanking; is that a justified pursuit, and have the Bucks been violating some key tenets in that regard with Giannis? Is there any chance Doc Rivers is back as head coach next year? What else do we need to know about the rest of the team as we look ahead to 2026-27?
48 min
March 05 Is there any hope left for the Milwaukee Bucks? What happened here? (03.05.2026)
The Milwaukee Bucks have lost four straight games, including dispiriting losses to Chicago and Atlanta, and now their play-in hopes are on life support. What happened here? Bucks reporter Jim Owczarski and host JR Radcliffe discuss the situation as best they can. Is all hope really lost? Why can't this team find any measure of consistency? Why is Doc Rivers still head coach? Where does Giannis Antetokounmpo fit in all this? What's left to watch for over the season's final 20 games?
49 min
February 27 The Bucks are en fuego even without Giannis, but there's more work left than you'd think (02.27.2026)
The Milwaukee Bucks have won eight of 10 without Giannis Antetokounmpo available, and Kevin Porter Jr. has taken center stage in a couple back-to-back wins over the Heat and Cavaliers. But everybody else in the chase for a play-in spot has been winning, too, leaving the Bucks still in need for a lot more. Bucks reporter Jim Owczarski and host JR Radcliffe discuss why this version of the Bucks has worked, when Giannis might be back, the ultimate future for Porter in Milwaukee, Myles Turner, the schedule ahead and more.
33 min
February 17 Newcomers Ousmane Dieng and Cam Thomas give the Bucks a spark ... can it last? (02.17.2026)
Bucks reporter Jim Owczarski and host JR Radcliffe take a look at the suddenly hot Milwaukee Bucks, with newcomers Cam Thomas and Ousmane Dieng contributing to a revitalization that might be important with Giannis Antetokounmpo close to returning from injury. Is this for real? Could the Bucks really make the play-in tournament? When exactly will Giannis be back? Plus a look back at the all-star weekend, with Giannis playing the master of ceremonies role despite not getting a chance to play. Which Wisconsin player is the bigger name right now, Jalen Johnson or Kon Knueppel? Dame won the 3-point competition!
48 min
February 06 The trade deadline is behind us, and Giannis is still here! (02.06.2026)
Bucks reporter Jim Owczarski and host JR Radcliffe look at what the Bucks did at the trade deadline, which wasn't all that much. Notably, Giannis Antetokounmpo is still here, but what are the odds he gets moved in the offseason? Does the national media preoccupation with moving Giannis create a tangible negative impact? What about the moves Milwaukee did make? How seriously will Milwaukee pursue wins in the home stretch once Giannis is healthy?
44 min
February 04 Takeaways from a 1-on-1 conversation with Giannis Antetokounmpo (02.03.2026)
Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Jim Owczarski at length Feb. 3, less than two days before the NBA trade deadline. What were Jim's thoughts on those comments after asking what Giannis himself wanted? How is he negotiating the duality of wanting to stay in Milwaukee and playing for a championship? If he's exerting pressure on the Bucks, what does he want to see that he hasn't seen from a front office, even one that has engineered teams around Giannis for several years? Jim talks about the perception that Giannis wants to avoid being the bad guy, the likelihood of a trade by the deadline, whether or not he thinks this team can really compete again next year and how the 2026 draft might factor into the process.
35 min
January 27 Giannis hurt again and the Bucks season is circling the drain ... so now what? (01.27.2026)
Bucks reporter Jim Owczarski joins host JR Radcliffe to discuss another injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo, one that's likely to keep him out for well over a month. The Bucks season is completely sunk, right? What does that mean for Antetokounmpo's future in Milwaukee, especially with the trade deadline just ahead? They discuss Giannis's puzzling run of games before the injury, the team's rosier-than-you-might-think draft outlook, Doc Rivers still being the head coach, how management might approach the Giannis situation in the offseason, why the Bucks have every opportunity to bounce back quickly next season, where Jon Horst is in all of this and more.
Music intro produced by Olivia Reiner and voiced by Michelle Rutkowski.
59 min
January 15 Has the dynamic between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bucks fans changed? (01.15.2026)
Bucks reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Jim Owczarski, and host JR Radcliffe dive into the incident Jan. 13 when the Milwaukee Bucks took a lopsided loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves and Giannis Antetokounmpo took exception to some fan booing. Has the dynamic with the fan base changed? Does it portend anything about his long-term stay with the organization, or are we actually headed toward Giannis signing an offseason extension? More importantly, is there anything the Bucks can do at the trade deadline that will bring this team back from its current state, well off the pace among the leaders in the Eastern Conference? Ja Morant? Zach LaVine? A new coach? And what in the world is going on with a team that hasn't been able to beat injury-depleted opponents?
Music intro produced by Olivia Reiner and voiced by Michelle Rutkowski.
34 min
January 07 The Bucks show signs of life after limping into 2026 (01.07.2026)
Could this possibly be a glimmer of hope for the Milwaukee Bucks? After a humbling loss to the Washington Wizards on New Year's Eve, Milwaukee has won two straight and four of five as it looks to right the ship and move toward a playoff spot in a friendly Eastern Conference. Bucks reporter Jim Owczarski and host JR Radcliffe discuss where this team stands after a brutal stretch without Giannis Antetokounmpo, how things shape up in the conference now that he's back and the vibes in the locker room. They discuss his comments after the Wizards loss, check in on his cloudy future in Milwaukee, discuss the upcoming trade deadline, Doc Rivers and Myles Turner.
Music intro produced by Olivia Reiner and voiced by Michelle Rutkowski.
46 min