Giannis’ Dominant Start Meets Season-Long Question of Durability

The Milwaukee Bucks have opened the 2025–26 campaign with renewed momentum, shaking off last year’s sluggish start behind a resurgent and dominant Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two-time MVP has delivered some of the league’s most overwhelming performances so far, powering the Bucks to an 8–5 record and anchoring nearly every facet of their offense.

Even for a player accustomed to elite production, Antetokounmpo’s early-season form has stood out as particularly impressive. His scoring pace leads the NBA, and his all-around contributions have given Milwaukee steady foundation during an inconsistent first month. Yet this brilliance comes with a familiar challenge: the physical toll required to sustain it.

Antetokounmpo has battled left knee patellar tendinopathy and already missed two games because of the issue. With Milwaukee managing his availability carefully, each game raises questions about how aggressively the team should push its franchise centerpiece. Those considerations are especially pressing as the Bucks prepare to host the surging Los Angeles Lakers.

As Milwaukee tries to build early-season momentum, the balance between securing wins and protecting Antetokounmpo’s long-term health remains a central storyline — one that could shape the franchise’s entire season.

1. Managing Giannis Through a Heavy Workload

The Bucks enter every season with the same core reality: their championship aspirations rest largely on Antetokounmpo’s shoulders. His combination of size, speed, and versatility dictates the team’s structure on both ends of the floor, and no one on the roster replicates his impact. This year has been no different. Through 13 games, Antetokounmpo has shouldered one of the heaviest workloads in the league, leading the team in scoring, rebounding, facilitation, and defensive activity. His ability to create advantages essentially fuels Milwaukee’s identity. But with that reliance comes risk. Patellar tendinopathy is a condition that requires ongoing monitoring, and the team has already shown caution by sitting Antetokounmpo twice. As the Bucks navigate back-to-back sets, the decision-making becomes even more delicate — particularly when marquee opponents appear on the schedule. Still, Antetokounmpo has played both ends of a back-to-back twice already this season, illustrating both his competitiveness and his desire to guide Milwaukee through the early challenges. Even so, the organization knows it cannot simply ride its star at full capacity every night.

2. Lakers Arrive With Injury Questions of Their Own

Milwaukee’s 147–134 overtime win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday provided a boost entering Saturday’s matchup, but the quick turnaround introduces new complexities. With Giannis listed as probable, fans at Fiserv Forum are eager to see whether he’ll suit up against one of the Western Conference’s early contenders. The Lakers enter the matchup at 9–4, though they will be without forward Rui Hachimura, who is dealing with left calf soreness. Guard Marcus Smart remains questionable due to illness, further thinning Los Angeles’ rotation. Even with those absences, the Lakers present a significant test. Their backcourt firepower, led by Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, has been one of the most effective scoring tandems in the league. The duo’s combination of shot creation and playmaking forces defenses into constant adjustments. For Milwaukee, the presence of Antetokounmpo dramatically shifts the outlook. Without him, the Bucks would face a steep uphill climb against a Lakers team that thrives in high-scoring, high-tempo settings.

3. A Season Built on Greatness and Balance

Antetokounmpo’s statistical output — an NBA-best 32.6 points per game along with 11.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks — underscores the extraordinary level at which he is operating. He remains one of the few players capable of controlling a game through sheer two-way presence. But as Giannis has acknowledged in past seasons, dominance alone is not enough. Sustained health will determine how far the Bucks can go, particularly as they aim to make a serious push back toward the NBA Finals. The balance between aggression and preservation is one he must manage throughout the year. For Milwaukee’s coaching and training staff, that balance is a season-long project. Each game represents a calculation between maximizing short-term performance and protecting the organization’s most essential long-term asset. As the Bucks and Lakers meet Saturday night at 8 p.m. ET, Milwaukee hopes that Antetokounmpo’s trend toward availability continues — and that his exceptional play remains intact as the season evolves.