Opinion: Bucks will clearly miss Giannis Antetokounmpo

According to the Associated Press on Saturday, former NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo of Athens, Greece will be out the next month due to a strained right calf. The Milwaukee Bucks’s nine-time All-Star, was initially projected to be out only two weeks, however Bucks head coach Doc Rivers confirmed over the weekend that Antetokounmpo would be out closer to the four-week range.

There have been interesting developments with Antetokounmpo over the last week. When the Bucks were stunned by the Washington Wizards 129-126 as a 10 point favourite, there were talks that Antetokounmpo had asked for trade rumours. The term I used was “possible turmoil” could be developing. Now it seems that those rumours will not be happening anytime soon, because Antetokounmpo is not healthy enough to play anywhere.

Antetokounmpo suffered the calf strain in the early stages of the Bucks’s 113-109 win over the Detroit Pistons on December 3. It is interesting that the injury was a non-contact ailment. Antetokounmpo only played three minutes and scored two points on two free throws before leaving the game. At the time of the injury, the Pistons had a 10-4 lead.

The loss of Antetokounmpo is gigantic for the Bucks. He is the catalyst of the entire organization. In the 17 games Antetokounmpo has plated for the Bucks, Milwaukee has a record of nine wins and eight losses. In the eight games Antetokounmpo has not played for Milwaukee, the Bucks are at one win and seven losses. The last two games, without their star, Milwaukee has lost by a combined total of 27 points in losses to the Philadelphia 76ers and Pistons.

Antetokounmpo leads the NBA with 10.5 two-point field goals made per game. He is also averaging 28.9 points per game, 10.1 rebounds per game, and 6.1 assists per game. Antetokounmpo also has a field goal percentage of .639, three point percentage of .435, and free throw percentage of .635.

The Bucks are 10th in the East. They are at 10 wins and 15 losses.