By now, I assume everyone is aware of the disagreement between Giannis and the Bucks over him being shut down for the season after yet another injury. If you’re not, please read Van’s recap (along with his take on what Milwaukee should do). And to be clear, Van’s logic is completely reasonable: essentially, if and when Antetokounmpo gets 100% healthy, he can play the remainder of the season. On its face, it’s a position I have no issue with: get him back to full health, and he won’t be playing at any
level of deficit, significantly reducing the risk of reinjury. He stays happy, everyone wins. I also no longer care too much about the tanking element of it at this point; it feels like they are locked into the ninth or 10th-best draft odds.
Here’s my problem: that doesn’t rule out freak injuries; you know, the injuries that take 12 months to recover from (touch wood, but I have to mention it). Now, you might say, “but Jack, what are the chances of that happening? 1%? 3%?” I don’t care how small the chances are. By putting him on the court for no tangible reason, you are accepting some percentage of risk—crucially, risk that is increased from that of a standard player because of GA’s high-flying style of play. My heart dropped when he hyperextended his knee, as it did when he went down holding his calf (both times). All three of those injuries had the potential to be catastrophic. Nope. I’m done tempting fate. Come hell or high water, they must stop him from returning.
At this point, the only thing that tangibly matters to me is getting Antetokounmpo to the offseason healthy. A catastrophic injury to Giannis could significantly slow their return to competitiveness: if he demanded a trade while hurt, the package Milwaukee receives in return would likely be halved. I’m not comfortable with any level of risk. This offseason is going to be the most consequential offseason I can remember since I became a fan in 2018, which is why the front office needs to stand firm.
Here’s the bottom line: regardless of what happens this offseason, it is imperative that GA enters it healthy. From that point, the path forward will quite literally sort itself out: he’ll either A) sign the supermax extension, giving the front office leeway to take more risks and also cover for future injuries, or B) not sign it, giving the front office no choice but to trade him with one guaranteed year left on his contract. But you have to get to that point with him in one piece, or else this all becomes moot, and the team is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Truly, I can appreciate the “you have to keep Giannis happy” argument, but this isn’t a matter I’m playing with. I’d be willing to risk any unhappiness that would come with forcing him to sit, if that’s what it came to. That said, what are we talking about here? Is Antetokounmpo really going to be “happy” if he is allowed to play? Because playing this season hasn’t seemed to bring him much joy. Like, am I taking crazy pills, or is this argument something of a red herring? He’s seemed miserable playing in these blowouts. Why bother putting yourself through more?
In closing, I strongly believe Milwaukee should stand firm and prevent the big fella from playing any further this season. It’s not worth it—from their end or his. And crucially, it’s not as if they’re asking for the world! They’re simply requesting he sit out 13 meaningless games. Is that really all that big of a deal? Think about the silver lining, Giannis. With no international basketball this summer, you can start your planning for a long European holiday early! Win-win, eh?
