The Bucks are preparing to be without star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo when they tip off their first-round series vs. the Pacers on Sunday, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Antetokounmpo missed the final three games of the regular season due to an injury that the Bucks diagnosed as a left soleus (calf) strain. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Monday that there was some “real doubt” about Giannis’ ability to return for Game 1 this weekend, so Wojnarowski’s update today doesn’t come as a major surprise.
According to Woj, the Bucks are hopeful that treatment on Antetokounmpo’s calf strain will allow the two-time MVP to return sometime later in the series. He has been undergoing treatment “around the clock,” sources tell ESPN.
It’s a bit of déjà vu for the Bucks, who saw their superstar go down with a back injury in Game 1 of their first-round series vs. Miami a year ago. That injury cost Antetokounmpo two-and-a-half games of a series that the Heat ultimately won in five.
Milwaukee, which went 4-5 without Giannis this season, won’t want to put its franchise player at risk of a more serious injury by rushing him back too soon, but will want to do everything in its power to avoid a repeat of that 2023 scenario in this year’s playoffs.
Antetokounmpo is expected to show up on most MVP ballots this spring after averaging 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, and a career-high 6.5 assists in 35.2 minutes per game across 73 games for the Bucks. His 61.1% mark on field goal attempts this season also represented a career high.
The good news is every other team is also planning to be without Giannis. The bad news is that only Milwaukee is negatively impacted by this.
Thanks Magic
At least they got rid of Adrian Griffin tho.
Bucks are a disaster. A lot of the blame should go to Doc Rivers, but Damian Lillard should shoulder a lot as well. Zero effort on defense and doesn’t play as well in a system as he played in Portland as the main (and sometimes only) weapon. A lot of us thought pure talent would prevail but it’s looking like they would have been better off keeping Holliday.
Imagine if Pacers get an upset here.
Bucks suck without Giannas
Tyrese is a beast when he wants to be.
Dame has struggled at times in Milwaukee.
Middleton isn’t a leader
Then yourve got Pascal and Myles Turner as your bigs when Giannas does return maybe 2-0 on the series already
Given how the two teams played each other, the addition of Siakam since they last played, and the disparity in head coaching prowess, I’d consider Indy the favorites even with a healthy Giannis. His return will help them avoid a sweep, but that’s all. Pacers in six, at most.
Things are setting up for the Glenn Rivers 3-1 playoff meltdown special.
No way they win three
Now Doc Rivers has something to blame for their lack of success and will keep his job
This is what you get for signing Rollins right after he was in trouble and released, firing Bud and Griffin along with signing Doc Rivers