As the 2025-26 NBA season tips off on October 22, with the Milwaukee Bucks hosting the Washington Wizards—and facing off against their former star Khris Middleton—the optimism in Milwaukee feels more like wishful thinking than genuine hope. Coming off a disappointing 2024-25 campaign that ended in a first-round playoff exit, the Bucks are staring down a roster ravaged by injuries, trades, and questionable decisions. Damian Lillard, acquired to form a super-duo with Giannis Antetokounmpo, is gone. Key additions like Myles Turner and Kyle Kuzma aim to bolster the frontcourt, but the team’s cap situation is tied up in aging or inconsistent talent like Bobby Portis and Kevin Porter Jr. Projections place them around sixth in the Eastern Conference, a far cry from championship contention. There are multiple gruelling stretches in the schedule, including a long road-heavy period in December and January and a total of 14 back-to-back sets. The Bucks will spend significant time away from home, compounding the stress on team leaders.
But let’s cut to the chase: the Bucks’ biggest roadblock isn’t just the roster flux or Lillard’s absence—it’s Giannis Antetokounmpo himself. Once hailed as the league’s unstoppable force, Giannis has plateaued in critical areas of his game, refusing to evolve beyond his dominant but predictable style. Worse, his selfishness—manifested in a ball-dominant approach and an obsession with personal stats—stifles team growth and chemistry. In a league where adaptability and selflessness win rings, Giannis’s unwillingness to change dooms the Bucks to mediocrity.
Giannis’s Game Hasn’t Evolved: Stagnation at the Top
Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the NBA as a raw prospect in 2013 and quickly became a superstar, earning two MVPs, a Defensive Player of the Year award, and leading the Bucks to their 2021 championship. His career averages—23.9 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game—paint the picture of a dominant force. But dig deeper into his progression, and it’s clear: Giannis hasn’t meaningfully improved in the areas that matter most for sustained success in today’s NBA.
Take his shooting, for instance. Giannis’s three-point percentage has hovered in the low 20s to high 20s for years, peaking at a career-high 30.3% in 2019-20 but dipping to a dismal 22.2% in 2024-25. His free-throw shooting, a perennial Achilles’ heel, sat at 61.7% last season—barely an improvement from his career 70.3% but still unreliable in crunch time. Defensively, while he was once the league’s best rim protector, his impact waned in 2024-25; he matched career lows in blocks and steals per game, prioritizing offense over the two-way dominance that defined his prime.
Critics have long pointed out how this lack of a reliable jump shot gets exposed in the playoffs. In the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals, Kawhi Leonard and the Raptors walled off the paint, daring Giannis to shoot—and he couldn’t. Fast-forward to recent postseasons, and the story repeats: teams pack the paint, force him into inefficient shots or turnovers, and the Bucks crumble. His playoff scoring jumps to around 28-30 points, but efficiency drops, and the team suffers. At 30 years old (turning 31 in December), Giannis is past his athletic prime, yet he hasn’t developed the perimeter skills needed to age gracefully like LeBron James or Kevin Durant. Instead, he relies on bulldozing drives and transition plays, which work in the regular season but falter against playoff defenses.
Without improvement here, the Bucks’ offense remains predictable and easy to scheme against—especially with Lillard out. Opponents will sag off Giannis, clog driving lanes, and watch as the team’s spacing collapses. This stagnation isn’t just a personal failing; it’s a team-killer in a season where Milwaukee desperately needs versatility.
The Selfishness Factor: Stats Over Substance
Giannis’s on-court demeanor has drawn increasing scrutiny, with accusations of selfishness undermining his leadership. His usage rate—consistently above 30% in recent years—means the ball is in his hands far too often, leading to a stagnant offense that discourages movement and off-ball play. Fans and analysts alike have noted how this “Giannis-ball” style leaves teammates disengaged, plugging them on defense as well when they’re uninvolved offensively.
A glaring example is his history of stat-padding. In March 2023, Giannis infamously chased a triple-double in a blowout win over the Wizards, re-entering the game late to grab a rebound and tipping it in—drawing widespread criticism for prioritizing personal milestones over team integrity. This isn’t isolated; social media buzzes with similar takes, labeling him a “stat-padding legend” who inflates numbers in low-stakes situations. Even in meaningful games, his focus on hero-ball—trying to do too much, as one Bucks fan observed after an early-season loss—leads to missed free throws, poor boxing out, and forced plays.
This selfishness extends to team dynamics. Former Bucks star DeMarcus Cousins suggested Giannis should “be selfish with his career” and consider a trade to a contender like Miami, implying his loyalty (or stubbornness) in Milwaukee is holding him—and the team—back. But on the court, it’s the opposite: he won’t relinquish control. With Lillard sidelined, Giannis’s ball dominance will only intensify, but as X users point out, this discourages the kind of fluid, team-oriented play that wins in the modern NBA. His high minutes (over 35 per game last season, up from Budenholzer’s era) and refusal to rest exacerbate injuries and burnout for everyone.
In a league where stars like Nikola Jokic or Jayson Tatum elevate teammates through unselfish play, Giannis’s approach feels outdated. He wants the spotlight on his triple-doubles and MVP chases, but that comes at the cost of collective success.
Preventing Team Development: The Giannis Shadow
Perhaps the most damning aspect is how Giannis’s presence hinders the Bucks’ overall development. By demanding the offense run through him, he limits opportunities for younger players or role guys to grow. The Bucks’ front office has depleted assets in trades—Jrue Holiday for Lillard, then Middleton out—leaving “nothing around Giannis,” as one podcaster lamented. GM Jon Horst’s extension despite this mess only compounds the issue.
With Lillard out, the burden falls squarely on Giannis, but his style doesn’t foster growth. New additions like Turner and Kuzma provide shooting and spacing, which the Bucks prioritized to surround him. Yet, as critics note, Giannis “makes his team worse all season by focusing on individual stat padding” and has “zero impact in games that matter.” The Bucks thrived in crunch time without him last season, suggesting the team plays more freely when not orbiting his gravity.
This season’s outlook is grim: fewer national TV games signal the league’s waning interest, and predictions hover around a play-in spot or low seed. In a stacked East with Boston, Cleveland, and New York reloading, the Bucks’ reliance on an unevolving, self-focused Giannis ensures early elimination. Injuries and bad luck played roles in past failures, but the core problem persists. And Giannis is largely to blame for the way every summer he fuels the trade rumours and then pretends all is well after having forced major moves. Well the Bucks have run out of trade chips to please him and what has it got them?
Time for a Reckoning in Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Bucks enter 2025-26 with talent but no cohesion, thanks largely to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s refusal to adapt or share the stage. His stagnant skills, selfish tendencies, and overshadowing presence turn a potential contender into a middling squad. Unless Giannis undergoes a dramatic shift—developing a jumper, embracing team play, and prioritizing wins over stats—the Bucks are headed for another frustrating season. Fans deserve better, but as long as the focus remains on “The Greek Freak’s” personal narrative, collective achievement will remain elusive. This isn’t a championship team; it’s Giannis’s stat sheet with a supporting cast. And that won’t cut it in today’s NBA.
