He won't be listed at point guard, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is all but guaranteed to take on more ball-handling responsibility than ever before this coming season. It's a conclusion Milwaukee Bucks fans have come to amid the team's roster retooling, particularly with no clear-cut second option on the roster to fill the void left in Damian Lillard's absence.
While a role like that could be taxing for a player who already shoulders so much of the burden as one of the league's highest-scoring players and top defenders, Giannis seems eager. In an interview with Sport24, Giannis expressed his desire to take on a creator role, an underrated part of his game that he believes can bring the best out of his team.
"To get the best from the team and from me, I have to be a creator. I need to feel I can create... That’s when my true self comes out, because that’s what I did at Filathlitikos. It’s what I always wanted to do. There were moments in my career when I did it, but most of the time I was the finisher. In the last two months, when I was more the team’s creator, I enjoyed it. I think the team did very well in that stretch."
Bucks are about to unleash a Giannis the NBA hasn't seen
Milwaukee's vision on both sides of the ball next season couldn't be clearer. Offensively, they want Giannis handling the ball and using his vision to find open shooters. This team wants to crank up the number of 3-point attempts next season, and Giannis' passing is key to that. Defensively, they want to be fast and versatile. They are well-equipped to do all of this.
Beyond just health, it's clear why Milwaukee's tenure with Jrue Holiday went far better than it did with Damian Lillard. Holiday was masterful off the ball, finding ways to impact the game on both ends while Giannis controlled the offense. With Lillard, he didn't have those same capabilities, especially on the defensive end, and he needed the ball more, which took it away from Giannis. It wasn't a clean fit.
Now, the Milwaukee Bucks are hoping their summer moves at point guard can help them rekindle some of that magic Holiday brought.
While he's not the same level of player Holiday was, Ryan Rollins has the same makeup as an off-ball maestro with his defense, shooting, and movement. Kevin Porter Jr. showed glimpses of being able to thrive in this role when Damian Lillard went down last season. Cole Anthony, the newcomer, is a question mark as the lone pure point guard, but he will buy into whatever role Milwaukee offers.
Of course, any of those three can also take on some ball-handling duties from Giannis when he sits or is simply being swarmed. It diversifies this Milwaukee offense just like Holiday did. That will also help ensure that Antetokounmpo doesn't get burnt out quickly if he does indeed take on such a huge role for the Milwaukee Bucks.
It would be a bold change compared to how the Bucks have done things over the last few seasons, but that feels right in line with all of the changes they've made this summer.
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