Injuries continue to bite NBA stars in a significant way this season. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is the latest big-name player slated to miss a significant amount of time. What does his latest injury mean, and when will he return?
What Does Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Latest Injury Mean for the Bucks, And When Will He Return?
For the first time in his career, Antetokounmpo has been plagued by a significant injury. Antetokounmpo, who appeared in 30 of the Bucks’ first 43 games, suffered his latest injury in Friday night’s 102-100 loss to Denver. According to ESPN, Antetokounmpo injured his right calf in the first half, but he still played 32 minutes. He finished with 22 points on 4 of 8 shots, 13 rebounds, and 7 assists. It was his 17th double-double of the campaign.
Antetokounmpo has sat out 14 of the Bucks’ first 44 games, including eight straight (December 5-26). However, the 31-year-old expects to miss at least a month with his latest injury. He is slated to get an MRI today.
“After the MRI, they’ll probably tell me I popped something in my calf and probably give me a protocol of 4-6 weeks, I’ll be out,” Antetokounmpo told reporters following the game. “After that, I’m going to work my butt off to come back probably by the end of February, beginning of March. Hopefully, the team can make it to the Play-In (Tournament) or playoffs, take it day by day, and try to get better.”
Milwaukee is in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. The Bucks sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference with an 18-26 record. The Bucks, who have lost five of their last six, are 2.5 games behind 10th-place Atlanta. They are also 6.5 games out of the sixth spot.
When Will Giannis Antetokounmpo Return?
While Antetokounmpo’s official status won’t be known until his MRI is read, he will likely miss at least a dozen games based on his timeline. If Antekounmpo is out four weeks, he projects to be sidelined until February 25 — thus, he will miss 14 games. He could miss as many as 20 contests.
His timeline also means that Antetokounmpo will sit out the All-Star game. Antetokounmpo is now a 10th-time all-star, but his absence now means that NBA commissioner Adam Silver will need to pick a commissioner, per NBA Insider Chris Haynes.
Any games that Antetokounmpo misses are not good news for the Bucks. The Bucks are just 3-11 in games that Antetounmpo has sat out this season. The Bucks have struggled mightily on the defensive end without Antetokounmpo, averaging 106.2 points and allowing 115.9. At the same time, the Bucks are scoring 7 points per game less without Antetokounmpo. They are still functional on that end due to their shooting, if everyone else is healthy.
However, the real problem Milwaukee faces is on defense. The Bucks are also allowing more than 5 points per game without Antetokounmpo than with him. More significantly, the Bucks struggle to close in on the line of scrimmage and stop the run. In terms of context, the Bucks are an average defensive team with Antetokounmpo and a bottom-5 defensive team without him.
Do The Bucks Still Plan To Be Buyers At Trade Deadline
Doc Rivers has options to replace Antetokounmpo in the starting five. Rivers has gone with Bobby Portis Jr. (5 times), Gary Trent Jr. (5), and Jericho Sims (4).
The bigger question is whether Antetokounmpo’s injury will change the Bucks’ approach to the trade deadline. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst doesn’t believe so, but added that things could change.
“I have not heard that the Bucks are backing down from wanting to be buyers,” Windhorst said. “I don’t have it up to date to this very second, and it may have changed in the last 3 hours, and I’ll find out tomorrow, but I have not heard the Bucks have changed course.”
The Bucks, reportedly looking for more offense, have been linked to Khris Middleton, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine, Malik Monk, and Ja Morant.
Besides Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee has other injury concerns. Trent Jr. and AJ Green sat out the Denver game due to illness. Both players should be able to play on Sunday against Dallas. Meanwhile, Taurean Prince (neck) is expected to miss the rest of the season, and Kevin Porter Jr. (oblique) doesn’t have a timetable to return.
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