Giannis Antetokounmpo was troubled by multiple lower-limb injuries during the last stretch of his time with the Milwaukee Bucks. Critics are particularly skeptical about how he would sustain long-term on the Miami Heat’s roster.

Despite the skepticism, head coach Erik Spoelstra is not planning to treat Antetokounmpo with kid gloves, even as the Heat remain mindful of the forward's injury history.

Antetokounmpo has embraced Miami's demanding approach since joining the organization. The two-time MVP has repeatedly praised the Heat's intensity, competitiveness, and attention to detail, calling the culture around the team very real.

That mindset fits naturally with how the Greek Freak has approached his career. However, the 31-year-old is coming off a season in which he played only 36 games, which makes his availability one of the biggest factors in Miami's hopes of making a deep playoff run.

Spoelstra does not believe that should force the Heat to limit what makes Antetokounmpo special.

“I’m of the abundance theory on that and not fear-based or scarcity,” Spoelstra said via The Athletic. “He’s fully in his physical prime. I think the most important thing is he was able to prepare for this NBA season with a long offseason and really steel his body with a lot of weight lifting, conditioning, getting everything in alignment. He hasn’t had the opportunity to do that in a few offseasons, and that’s really prepared him physically.”

Erik Spoelstra finds similarity between Dwyane Wade and Giannis Antetokounmpo

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Spoelstra also added that Miami will monitor the situation throughout the year and make adjustments when necessary. That approach also explains why Spoelstra is looking to Miami legend Dwyane Wade when considering how to handle Antetokounmpo's aggressive playing style.

Wade built much of his game around attacking the rim and absorbing contact. Even as he got older, Spoelstra said the Hall of Famer never lost that mentality.

“Dwyane adjusted his game as he got a little bit older, but he was still fearless,” Spoelstra added. “That part of his attack mentality never left.”

Spoelstra sees a similar challenge with Antetokounmpo. The Heat want him attacking in space and using the physical advantages that have made him one of the NBA's most dominant players.

At the same time, they will need to make smart decisions as the season develops.