The Greek Freak is out of commission for the short term.
It will not be a walk in the park, but the Milwaukee Bucks will have to move forward for a little while without the services of their superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo will be on the shelf through next week with a mild calf strain.
Due to this lingering injury, Antetokounmpo will also not participate in the All-Star game festivities in San Francisco next weekend. Bucks coach Doc Rivers confirmed that he will not play in next Sunday’s All-Star Game.
ESPN senior NBA insider Shams Charania broke the news on social media.
“Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will be sidelined through the next week due to a mild calf strain and will miss the NBA All-Star Game next Sunday, sources tell ESPN. Antetokounmpo, out since February 2, is expected to return to action shortly after All-Star break.”
Embed from Getty ImagesThis is certainly a setback to the Bucks, but thankfully, it seems as if he avoided any serious injury. However, the former MVP will miss the next few games, a crucial stretch for the Bucks ahead of the All-Star game.
Milwaukee will play three games before the All-Star break, today against Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, Monday against the ‘new look’ Golden State Warriors, and then on Wednesday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Bucks are 4-6 over their last 10 games so this hampers their chances of heading into the All-Star break on a high note and feeling good about themselves. Antetokounmpo has been playing at an All-Star level this season for Milwaukee and his presence in the lineup, even from just a leadership standpoint, will certainly be missed.
But the team will depend on the supporting cast, such as star guard Damian Lillard and newly acquired forward Kyle Kuzma from the Washington Wizards to pick up the slack. Kuzma made his debut for the Bucks on Friday night against Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks and will look to get more comfortable into the offensive system.
If the Bucks can find a way to steal at least two of these next three games, they would feel confident heading into the break. It has not been the easiest road for Milwaukee, and they have had to overcome multiple losing stretches throughout the season.
