The Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo are reportedly at odds regarding whether or not the star should play again this season. Per The Athletic's Eric Nehm (subscription required), the team has approached Giannis about sitting out the final 14 games due to the countless injuries he's been hit with this season and the franchise's one-in-a-million odds (seemingly) to make the postseason.
He reportedly denied the request, as one would expect.
Asking Giannis to sit is like asking a kid to come home early
Giannis wants to play. He's a competitor. As long as he can walk, he wants to leave it all out on the basketball court. In past seasons, that approach made plenty of sense because the Bucks were one of the league's top contenders. This season, as they sit 6.5 games back of the final Play-In spot in the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee is not in any contending conversation.
It would make plenty of sense for the Milwaukee Bucks to pull the plug. It's not like they are asking a fully healthy Giannis to sit. He's dealt with various injuries this season, including adductor, ankle, and knee woes, which currently has him sidelined for at least the next week. He's played in just 36 games this season. Some rest could do his body good.
Giving up like this, even if it would be in his best interest, doesn't interest Giannis. Perhaps he thinks it would be a bad look. With all of the talk about tanking across the NBA these days, sitting out when he has a chance to play could shine a negative light on the Greek Freak. As someone who has always said he wants to play the game the right way, perhaps this would feel like he's cheating the system.
Bucks' elephant in the room is becoming hard to ignore
The Milwaukee Bucks want a high draft pick. The sole silver lining in what will be a lost season is the opportunity to have a nice pick in a loaded draft class. With a need for more talent, acquiring a player within the first 10 picks could be good. Landing a piece projected to go top five could be great. Top three? Generational.
Sitting Giannis wouldn't guarantee a high pick (they haven't been great even with him), but it certainly would help increase their odds of getting one. Of course, it's not all about the pick. Giannis is 31, and the fear is that all of these injuries this season are from wear and tear catching up. An extra 14 games of rest could do him good.
Only time will tell who wins this game of tug of war between Giannis and the Bucks.
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