Milwaukee Bucks: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s workload has never been higher

Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo has endured through back soreness in recent weeks and one can only wonder whether the gargantuan workload he’s dealing with may have attributed to it.

As the leading force behind the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo is no stranger to taking on a gargantuan slew of responsibilities.

With an ever-expanding role that only matches the endless extraordinary talents he possesses, Antetokounmpo has improved upon many of the marks he set during his MVP-winning season last year as the Bucks have continued to roll through opposing teams for the second straight year.

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Through Antetokounmpo, as well as the depth of the Bucks’ supporting cast, their formula for success continues to see the 25-year-old’s minutes decrease for the second straight season where he’s averaging 30.9 minutes through his 38 appearances so far.

That currently tracks for the fewest minutes per game Antetokounmpo has tallied since his rookie season back in 2013-14.

Managing Antetokounmpo’s workload has been critical to the Bucks becoming the contender they’ve become under reigning NBA Coach of the Year, Mike Budenholzer, and it’s been key in helping Antetokounmpo to preserve his body, especially after dealing with knee issues that have flared up in recent seasons.

Recently, however, Antetokounmpo’s been troubled with back soreness, an issue that first arose on Christmas Day when the Bucks were slaughtered by their East rival the Philadelphia 76ers. That ailment eventually forced Antetokounmpo to miss the following two games as the Bucks bounced back from their Christmas slip up with easy wins over the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic.

Antetokounmpo has played in each of the Bucks’ seven games since, with six of them being wins, but the concerns regarding his back have calmed only slightly. That was especially apparent after enduring through his quietest performance of the season in the Bucks’ 21-point win over the Sacramento Kings Friday night.

Of course, Antetokounmpo was able to bounce back with a 32-point performance the following night in the Bucks’ win over the Portland Trail Blazers that hit on all of the ways he’s able to influence his and the team’s overall performance, just as he’s done for the entire season.

Back injuries and general soreness, like the kind Antetokounmpo has been dealing with, are always tricky things to treat. While the Bucks have gone to great lengths to keep their face of the franchise fresh and free from injury, it’s impossible to ignore how the Greek phenom is taking on more involvement in the team’s offense than ever before.

Per NBA.com/stats, Antetokounmpo is currently logging the highest usage percentage of his career at 36 percent, a mark that currently stands second behind the league-leading Houston Rockets guard James Harden.

Along with that, Antetokounmpo is averaging the most touches per game of his career at 83.9 and no one in the NBA attacks the rack more than Antetokounmpo where he’s averaging 10.3 restricted area attempts per game and is converting those looks at a 74.2 percent clip.  When he isn’t getting to the rack at will, Antetokounmpo lives at the free throw line where he’s compiled the second-most free throw attempts, behind Harden.

There’s been plenty of work done by both the player and the Bucks’ development staff to open up Antetokounmpo’s game as he’s not taken on so much contact on his way to the bucket and that’s been seen in the seven-year forward broadening his game toward the perimeter, where he’s averaging his amount of 3-point looks so far at 5.1 attempts per game.

Even so, Antetokounmpo’s game, as it has been for the entire length of his career, is predicated on relentlessly attacking the basket and absorbing plenty of attention and contact from opposing defenders along the way. Of course, no player does it better and more efficiently on such a high volume as Antetokounmpo, but it’s a playing style that requires taking on a lot of punishment and we’re going on several seasons that Antetokounmpo has done this.

From that standpoint, it’s only natural for Antetokounmpo to pick up unpleasant knocks, and accrue wear and tear, and despite the maintenance and care the Bucks’ medical staff and Budenholzer have provided over the last couple of years, it’s a cold reality they will have to live with for his entire career.

Playing through your best player as the Bucks do with Antetokounmpo is obviously the best pathway toward lasting success and they clearly have capable focal points alongside their superstar, with Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton being able to take on plenty of offensive responsibilities as well.

But the combination of Antetokounmpo’s extensive role, playing style and insatiable competitiveness can cut at the work the Bucks have done to keep his overall minutes workload down in recent seasons. How they will continue to maintain and conserve his energy and limit the punishment Antetokounmpo endures will be one to keep an eye on, especially with a potential NBA title up for grabs down the line.