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“I gotta do what I gotta do. I had the injury out of nowhere last year so just gotta be smart, take care of my body.” Giannis Antetokounmpo was adamant about taking things slowly, and smartly, upon returning to the court after an 18-day gap. The Bucks star had sustained a calf injury on February 5th. It sidelined him for not only the regular season games but also the All-Star Weekend. With Doc Rivers also looking to take things easy with his star player, the ‘Greek Freak’ was placed on a minutes restriction upon his return. Unfortunately, in just a few days, Giannis has backtracked from his original belief. Now, he wants things to return to normal.

Giannis was interviewed by reporters after the Bucks’ recent 120-113 win against the Miami Heat. Even though he was placed on a 31-minute restriction, he exceeded that by over 55 seconds. To a reporter, this was a sign that Doc Rivers has trust in his player, and allows for a little bit of leeway. To Giannis, however, it did not mean anything.

Well, not anything completely. Antetokounmpo was more or less disappointed that Doc did not trust him enough to play him longer. “If he trusted me, he should have played me 36 minutes. Played me 40 seconds more. He just…. he couldn’t get me out, that’s why. He tried to get me out, but he couldn’t,” the 30-year-old said.

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With a mindset like that, Giannis has shown that he feels fine on a personal level. “Hopefully, moving forward, I don’t like playing with minute restriction. I don’t know how long this is going to go for, but hopefully, can get back playing my regular minutes, and my regular rotation so I can get better and better,” the 2x MVP added.

Giannis has suffered from multiple injuries within this season itself. He sustained issues with his knee and patella during the latter part of October, with his adductor and his calf in November, an illness a little after mid-November, a finger injury in January, etc. Now, he is recovering from the existing issues with his calf. Who knew that one day, Giannis would be on an ‘Anthony-Davis’ injury-prone level?

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All of these injuries only strengthen the case that ‘The Greek Freak’ should receive limited playtime. After all, the Bucks do not want a repeat of last year, when Giannis sustained a calf injury in April. That injury caused the player to miss the remaining games of the regular season and the entirety of the 2024 NBA playoffs. Going into the postseason without their star player caused the Milwaukee Bucks squad to be eliminated in the first round itself!

Giannis is needed to lead the team during the postseason. This may have compelled Doc Rivers to not put too much playing pressure on the player. At the same time, however, there may be an ulterior motive behind the minute limit. After all, the Bucks can’t negotiate a good trade deal if the player they wish to send will be injured again.

What’s your perspective on:

Is Giannis right to push for more minutes, or should Doc Rivers stick to his plan?

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Will Giannis Antetokounmpo be traded to the New York Knicks?

The February Trade deadline has come and gone, and the NBA Finals won’t happen for another 3 months. Despite this, not all trade rumors have simmered down. Amongst the names that continue to be discussed in potential exchanges between the rival franchises is that of Giannis Antetokounmpo. It is a bold move for the Bucks to cut ties with its star player. However, Luka Doncic’s trade showed that no one is safe. Therefore, as speculation runs havoc on what the future holds for ‘The Greek Freak’, a potential trade possibility has popped up.

Fadeaway World recently highlighted the New York Knicks as Giannis’s next home. Giannis had earlier joked about wanting to see Nikola Jokic as the future face of the Knicks. However, what has stopped him from doing it himself?

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Unfortunately, the proposed trade deal will cost the Knicks big. After all, to get Antetokounmpo, they will have to trade Karl-Anthony Towns, Precious Achiuwa, Miles McBride, a 2025 First-Round Pick (WAS), and a 2030 First-Round Pick Swap (NYK). Along with Giannis, the Knicks would also get Pat Connaughton and Tyler Smith. However, the cost of losing Towns and Achiuwa would leave one thinking.

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Giannis has made it clear that he has no intention of leaving the Bucks. His exact words were, “I don’t think that I would ever text (and ask for a trade), I am not this kind of guy, they would have to kick me out.” However, a day after Giannis made the remarks, Shams Charania reported that ‘The Greek Freak’ “loves the bucks, but loves winning more”. Therefore, he has sort of informed that he will leave if he doesn’t feel like he can win there.

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Be it the Bucks or the Knicks, Giannis can only play when he is healthy enough to do so. Whether he can stay healthy till the playoffs this time around remains to be seen.

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Is Giannis right to push for more minutes, or should Doc Rivers stick to his plan?

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