The superstar of the Milwaukee Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo, has been injured and will reportedly be out of the first-round series against the Indiana Pacers. The Bucks, however, are hopeful that he will be able to return.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the club is waiting for "him to return sometime later in the series" after he is able to fully heal from left calf strain. The NBA champion and Finals MVP of 2021, sustained left calf strain during the game against the Boston Celtics.
The Greek Freak went down without having any contact, which subsequently gave rise to worries about a possible Achilles injury but it was later announced by the squad that he had sustained a left calf strain. Antetokounmpo had missed three regular season games due to the injury.
"If [the Bucks] go down in the first round again … I'm not sure where Giannis is going to be." 😬
(Via @GetUpESPN ) pic.twitter.com/QFvJwWPhhn
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 16, 2024
.@WindhorstESPN doesn't think this season is the end of the Warriors' big three 👀
"I think they bring Klay Thompson back. I think they like the way this team plays at the end of the season." pic.twitter.com/Y8O4vTPUe7
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 16, 2024
Recently, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst shared in one of the episodes of "Get Up" considering Antetokounmpo and his run with the Bucks if they lose in the playoffs. He shared, "If they lose in the 1st round, that’s a big statement right there, number one. If they lose in the first round, the first person you’re worried about isn’t Dame, it’s Giannis. You wanna make sure, Giannis is still committed, and also, when you talk about this first round you gotta worry about where Giannis’ calf is, If he’s going to be 100 percent. But if they go down in the first round again, they have that disappointment back-to-back years, I’m not sure where Giannis is gonna be."
Last year, Antetokounmpo signed a three-year, $186 million extension with the Bucks. According to Windhorst, this could be one of the factors that revolves around Bucks’ future with Antetokounmpo. He further continued, "No matter what happens, this is a flawed roster. The panacea that they thought Dame Lillard was going to be wasn’t the case. They’re going to have to make changes one way or another. And they’ve basically mortgaged their entire draft for the future. So they’re gonna have to get creative. And I do think it’s possible Dame could be looked at. But you gotta make sure Giannis is committed to it first."
The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player concluded his regular season with average 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and his shooting percentage was 61 percent.
