It’s not easy being the best player on a team that desperately needs you. Having to carry the team both offensively and defensively can be extremely difficult. But this might be the reality that awaits the Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo in this year’s NBA playoffs after Damian Lillard’s season ended early.

The ‘Greek Freak’ played incredibly well tonight against the Phoenix Suns. He had more points and assists than the rest of the Bucks’ frontcourt combined. He ended the night with a double-double, with 37 points and 11 assists. And in light of his heroics, Doc Rivers praised Giannis. But he also spoke about the role he’d now be playing with Dame out.

And let’s just say he’s going to be working much harder in this upcoming postseason.

“I mean, like, we talk about it as with Dame out, we, you know, I talked about it about four or five days ago. I said, ‘You are now literally our point guard, and you have to be our playmaker and our scorer. You’re gonna draw attention, and and and we have to trust that you make the right decisions.’ And I thought, overall, he did tonight. So, he was fantastic,” said Rivers.

Now, Giannis is used to being the heartbeat of the Bucks team. But he always had someone he could rely on to lighten the load. At one point, it was Khris Middleton; after that, it was Damian Lillard. But now, Dame is out indefinitely, and Giannis is all the Bucks have in terms of lethal attackers.

Even so, the ‘Greek Freak’ has excelled so far at involving his teammates in games while still being at the forefront of the Bucks’ offense. And that makes him a huge threat to any team that may face him in the Playoffs. Even if he is carrying a bigger burden now.

So, following the Bucks’ victory over the Suns, Giannis spoke to the media about how his new responsibilities on the court could have affected his game. And more importantly, he revealed how he doesn’t let that get to him.

Giannis Antetokounmpo talks about the new role he now has with the Bucks

Giannis had a decision to make when he learned about his new role for the Milwaukee Bucks. He could revamp the way he plays and hope the Bucks could endure the learning curve. Or he could integrate the way he’s always played into the new role. If you watched the Phoenix Suns game tonight, then you probably know which option the ‘Greek Freak’ chose.

Of course, it was the latter option. Giannis wasn’t going to give up his hyper-aggressive playing style just because his role changed. And boy, did it pay off tonight! Following the game, Giannis elaborated on why he chose to do this.

 “It’s never gonna be perfect,” said the Bucks star. “This is all you’re always gonna have that feeling of, ‘oh, I’m being too aggressive,’ or..you, like, pass the ball, then you’re like, ‘oh, I’m passing the ball too much’…You just gotta keep on playing, and you gotta pick one or the other. And for me, I pick to be aggressive,” said Antetokounmpo.

What Giannis is getting at is quite simple. Rather than having the Yips during a pivotal game, he feels it’s better to just do what comes easily to you. And once you get comfortable doing it, things fall into place on their own. We saw that tonight against the Phoenix Suns. However, will this new version of Giannis Antetokounmpo with added responsibilities be enough to help the Bucks make a deep playoff run? Let us know what you think!