By Mathieu Seguin | Sport editor
A few years ago, Milwaukee enjoyed a historical triumph that seemed to open an era of domination. However, as the 2025-26 season approaches, the decor has changed. The organization of Wisconsin is now based on a single certainty: the presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Time has erased almost all the faces that made up the 2021 champion workforce. Now thirty, the Greek Freak remains the only star capable of carrying Milwaukee. But this total responsibility questions, especially when he saw a summer bus with the Eurobasket. His performances remain elite, but expectations are colossal for a player whose physical wear begins to become a real subject.
Doubts do not only come from external observers, but also from the most famous insiders. “Their workforce is not very good. They put a massive burden on Giannis so that it is the only engine of the team for 82 games ”explained Tim Bontemps on ESPN, before adding that Milwaukee would be lucky to target the top 6 in the east under these conditions. A forecast far from the standards set since the arrival of the Greek superstar.
A colossal weight on the shoulders of Greek Freak
This observation is shared by other analysts. Tim MacMahon did not hesitate to underline the excessive workload that awaits the old MVP. “He will have to play more, harder, and not only be the main facilitator, but almost the only game creator”he said, while doubting the player’s ability to keep this pace over time. These concerns find an echo in the figures, since Giannis has never exceeded 35 minutes on an average regular season over the last five years.
The fragility of the collective without its leader is even more blatant. “Whenever Giannis does not play, their workforce is that of one of the five or six worst League teams”insisted Bontemps. However, over the past five seasons, the double MVP has not played more than 73 games. With a demanding calendar and the inevitable physical management, Milwaukee will have to learn to survive during his absences.
The concern therefore comes less from its intrinsic level than from the ability of its environment to support it. Without a major reinforcement, Milwaukee may run out of steam in an increasingly competitive eastern conference. The survival of the franchise at the top will depend directly on the health and the regularity of its Player franchise.
If the title of 2021 already belongs to an almost distant past, Giannis continues to embody the hope and the ambition of an entire organization. The challenge is immense: prolonging his reign by carrying on his shoulders a team which, without him, seems far too vulnerable to aim for the summits.
