Giannis in the game, Greece 3pts ahead
He leaves the game, Greece 9pts ahead
He comes back in, Greece down to 4pts ahead
Q3 Giannis leaves the game , Greece ahead 7 points. Without Giannis, Greece ahead 11 points
Q4 Greece ahead 13 points when Giannis enters the game. With Giannis on the court that falls to only 9 points
The facts speak for themselves. The Greek national team plays much better without Giannis on the floor. No two ways around it.
But that isn’t even the start. He played virtually no defence all night, content to watch his team mates from the 3point line! Despite the fact that Italy had nobody even close to able to defend him. He made 5 turnovers, most of which were simply infantile. FIBA basketball emphasises team defence, with a smaller court and different rules (e.g., no defensive three-second violation), which can limit Giannis’ rim-protecting impact compared to the NBA. FIBA’s no defensive 3-second rule allows bigs to camp in the paint — a setup that should enhance Giannis’s elite help-defence capabilities. But no, he simply did not engage at all. If he’s not using that to deter drives or anchor switches, it’s a wasted asset.
Five turnovers are significant in a FIBA game, where possessions are fewer due to shorter game lengths (40 minutes) and a slower pace compared to the NBA. Turnovers directly give the opponent extra opportunities, which could explain why Greece’s lead shrank during periods when Giannis was on the court (e.g., from 9 to 4 points when he returned, or from 13 to 9 points in Q4) Many of these turnovers, weren’t forced — they were bad reads, over-dribbling, or trying to “force the issue.”
With Giannis, the offense too often bogs down into “give it to Giannis and watch” — which stagnates spacing, tempo, and creativity. If ever there was a clear case of Giannis simply getting highlights but in fact damaging his team, tonight was it. And all this on a night when most of the Italian players were terrible. Greece simply moves the ball better and plays better defence without him. It is a much more balanced team when it is not constantly looking for a Giannis highlight. Without Giannis, Greece plays more structured, disciplined team basketball — multiple ball-handlers, consistent help defense, and less reliance on any one star. This was against a weak Italian team. If Greece can’t dominate with Giannis against this, what happens against stronger competition? a bad fit for this system, this environment, and maybe even this version of the Greek team. And it’s a hard truth for fans and analysts to accept because of how dominant he is in the NBA. FIBA success requires fit, feel, and flexibility, not just individual talent. If Giannis isn’t adapting to the format — or worse, if the team has to bend around him and gets worse as a result — that’s a serious issue.
