On the latest episode of KG: Certified, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce had a chat regarding the Milwaukee Bucks’ chances of winning the title. After revealing how the gruesome injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo was unfortunate, Pierce disclosed that he was never confident in the Wisconsin side anyway.
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During the third quarter of the 9th April tie against the Boston Celtics, Giannis Antetokounmpo went down to the floor, holding his left calf. A day after the incident, the franchise confirmed that their two-time MVP sustained a soleus strain and would be out for the final three games of the regular season.
With Giannis suffering a horrific injury on his left leg, analysts and pundits have a reason to believe that the Bucks now have a lower chance of making a run for the title. Amidst this, Paul Pierce shockingly went as far as to state that the 2021 champions would not even make it past the first round of the postseason, whether or not the Greek Freak played.
Claiming that Doc Rivers’ boys didn’t have the same aura as before, Kevin Garnett joined his co-host in believing that the team didn’t have a proper game plan. Further, taking shots at their lackluster defense, despite having two great defensive big men – Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez, Pierce then boldly claimed that the Milwaukee Bucks wouldn’t make it past the first round if they had to face either the Miami Heat or the Philadelphia 76ers.
“I hate to see injuries, especially to our best players. But, Giannis or no Giannis the Bucks wasn’t going nowhere this year… Even if they had Giannis – I don’t got the Bucks going nowhere this year. And if they got to see Miami or 76ers, they can book their flight to Cancun right now… They’re body language is just off, they are just not giving me the same aura – you know when the Bucks come in, they had a presence to themself. I don’t see that no more,” Pierce said.
According to various reports, a player might take anywhere between 2-4 weeks to recover from an injury to the soleus. While the Bucks have only announced that their leader will be missing out on the remainder of the season, it is possible that the 6ft 11” forward will be sidelined till after the playoffs begin.
In this case, it’s difficult to argue with Pierce. If the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks were to face either the Jimmy Butler-led Miami Heat or Joel Embiid’s Philadelphia 76ers, the Eastern Conference powerhouse would have a really difficult time making a deep playoff run. The team just looks deeply shaken at the moment, something that has been the case ever since Doc Rivers took over as head coach this season.
With there being a serious lack of momentum in the side at the moment, it isn’t hard to imagine the side giving out in just the first round of the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks have especially struggled in the past two weeks
The Milwaukee Bucks were struggling to win even before Giannis Antetokounmpo went down with his soleus strain. Since 26th March, the Wisconsin side won only three out of 10 games. What’s even more concerning about their performance is the fact that the team sustained losses against some of the worst teams in the league, with no chance of making it to the postseason such as the Washington Wizards, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Toronto Raptors.
Despite their 3-7 record in their last 10 games [per NBA.com], the Milwaukee Bucks have been lucky in not dropping down in the standings. However, the losses have helped the #3 New York Knicks and #4 Cleveland Cavaliers in covering ground. Now, suffering a loss against the Orlando Magic could result in the Bucks entering the postseason as the 4th seed.
If the Milwaukee Bucks manage to retain their #2 spot, they will be playing the 7th seed team which will be determined from the play-in tournament. But if the team finishes 3rd or even 4th in the Eastern Conference, their opponent for the first round of the playoff could be either of As of now, the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, or the Indiana Pacers.
