Greece Coach Offers Solution to Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo Issue After Darvin Ham’s Concerning Admission

A familiar paradox unfolded in Athens last night. Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks’ two-time MVP, was back in FIBA action for Greece, and again, the spectacle didn’t quite match the story on the stat sheet. His 29 minutes were electric in moments, alien in others. He flew to the rim, bent defenses, and left the Italians scrambling. Yet Greece’s most commanding stretches came when their star wasn’t on the court.

And here lies the kernel of a conversation now echoing back to Wisconsin. Bucks assistant coach Darvin Ham recently admitted that Giannis “has to be Superman” in Milwaukee: a singular role that strains the team around him. Could Greece’s more balanced, almost understated approach offer a blueprint the Bucks have been missing? It’s a question that’s only grown louder with every controlled EuroBasket possession.

From the opening tip, Greece leaned into a collective rhythm. When Giannis sat, a curious lineup emerged: Toliopoulos, Kalaitzakis, Papanikolaou, and both Antetokounmpo brothers. On paper, it lacked punch. “Who’s going to do anything on offense here?” asked Gytis Blazevicius on BasketNews, as the ball stalled and possessions ended in contested threes or hesitant drives. And yet, the scoreboard told a different tale: those stretches built leads, not lost them.

“It was the first quarter. I think Greece was up by three. Giannis went to the bench… they actually finished the quarter 7-0 and built a 10-point lead,” Donatas Urbonas observed. The same pattern unfolded in the second half: Giannis off, lead stretches; Giannis on, game tightens; even his plus-minus, a minus-three, contrasted with the team’s nine-point win.

The irony? Giannis himself was excellent. 14-20 from the field, all twos, a blur in transition, and a bulldozer in the paint. “Watching Giannis on the FIBA court once again… he looks like a guy from a different planet with his steps,” Blazevicius said. The issue isn’t his production. But what the system asked of everyone else when he was on.

Spanoulis’ Blueprint Echoes in Milwaukee’s Concerns

Greece head coach Vassilis Spanoulis has built Greece’s game plan around harmony, not heroics, even when Giannis Antetokounmpo is off the floor. His motion-heavy system relies on clean spacing, coordinated pick-and-rolls, and relentless defensive effort. And yet, as BasketNews highlighted, Greece increased its lead when Giannis sat, pointing to depth and execution over pure star power.

Feb 7, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) prepares for a game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Contrast that with the NBA grind: Giannis carried a league-leading 35.2% usage rate in 2024–25, second highest in the league, most for any playoff team. That volume translated into elite numbers: 30.4 points (2nd in NBA), 11.9 rebounds (6th), and 6.5 assists (13th) per game, but also a system that often collapsed when he sat.

Bucks assistant Darvin Ham didn’t disguise the discrepancy. “In the NBA, his usage rate is off the charts. He always constantly has the ball in his hands… with us, he has to be Superman,” Ham said. By contrast, Greece lets him move more fluidly within a structure: “more team-oriented, more sets,” he noted, anchoring rather than steering the offense.

For a team like Milwaukee, the lessons are tantalizing. Adjusting to a system where Giannis remains a force (scoring, rebounding, facilitating) but not the sole initiator could preserve his energy, elevate role players, and align more closely with the collaborative success seen in Greece.

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