Giannis' bold challenge is one Bucks youngsters never expected to hear

The Milwaukee Bucks are in a strange space right now. They're not exactly in the playoff picture; they're not out of it. They have the best player in the conference, Giannis Antetokounmpo, but he just came back from a lengthy injury absence to a team that forged its own character without him. There are new faces on the roster. On this post-All-Star break version of the team, Giannis is the newest. 

He needs time to get his feet back beneath him. He doesn't want to disrupt anything good the group had going. In that context, he posed an implicit challenge to his young teammates after his return on Monday. Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins, Cam Thomas, and Ousmane Dieng should all consider themselves on notice.

I'm trying to figure out myself, you know. I'm trying to figure out how can I fit into the team, which, a lot of people might say, 'You should not try to fit into the team. You should just go out there and play.' But no, it's the reality. I'm trying to figure out how to play with Scoot, Ryan, Cam, Ous, and all those guys. And maybe this is the first time in my career that they got to help me find my identity, not vice versa.

Help Giannis find his identity? That's probably not a task they expected. 

Antetokounmpo's return might not be all smooth sledding

Mostly, Giannis said, he is just glad to be back on the floor, but all that time off it has him out of rhythm. It was evident in a 7-for-18 outing against the Celtics. Navigating long-term soft-tissue issues, like his calf strain, is not something he has much experience with. 

There were other instances that suggested a team out of sync. Milwaukee's guards were less aggressive with Giannis on the floor. He will consume plenty of touches, for sure, but that doesn't mean he wants Rollins or Porter passing up good looks out of deference. 

Right before his return, it felt like the mojo ran out. On both ends of the floor, the Bucks are desperate for his physical presence in the paint. But, expressing a superstar's unique selflessness, he is right to want to preserve the positives the youngsters discovered in his absence. 

Taking players under his wing or hyping up his teammates is nothing new for Giannis. What he appears to be suggesting, though, certainly is. Antetokounmpo has made a career of not only dominating in his own right but also improving everyone around him. Even if only for a transitional period of reconditioning and discovery, he sounds prepared to cede the reins just a bit. 

It's still Giannis' team. He wants to know he fits it

That does not mean that the Greek Freak will no longer lead this team. Of course he will. But playing off his teammates while he gets back into basketball shape could be a major win-win. Ideally, Giannis will still be the focal point of everything the Bucks do, but he might like some guidance on how to do that in a way that maximizes the current group's contributions. Right now, he's not sure what that is. He is still figuring himself out, as he says. 

True, he has watched the rest of the team from the sidelines, cheering on Thomas' scoring splurges and Dieng's smooth 3-point stroke. That's a far cry from sharing the court with them in real time. Monday's game, he admitted, was only his second session playing contact basketball since the injury. 

It's hard to ignore the irony. The original vision for this team was to have Giannis be the sun, the moon, and the stars, with everything and everyone orbiting around him, and that's still the case in a very strong sense. But things have also changed, with new acquisitions and the breakout in the backcourt. That's especially true in this liminal space immediately after his return. 

Put it this way. The Bucks' every thought in constructing the roster has centered on how each piece will fit around Giannis. Now, he wants to know how he can mesh with the roster that exists around him.