With just three games left in the regular season, Giannis Antetokounmpo has picked up a strained calf injury. The Bucks star went down in the third quarter vs the Celtics and limped his way into the locker room. Fans are afraid that this injury could cost them the season. On the recent episode of the ‘UNDISPUTED’ show, Skip Bayless talked about the non-contact injury and how it could potentially disrupt their championship hopes.
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The Bucks are currently 48-31 in the Eastern Conference and have clinched the playoff position. This injury couldn’t have come at a worse time as they are now moving into the more serious parts of the tournament. According to Adrian Wojnarowski, an MRI scan done for his injury showed that his “left Achilles tendon is fully intact and his return to play will come with how quickly his left calf strain heals.”
Even though this is good news for fans, there are still a lot of negative aspects attached to it and Bayless detailed how this could eclipse Giannis’ chances of coming back in the first round. Bayless said,
“I don’t think he is going to be able to play in the first round of the playoffs. These things usually linger for three or four weeks.”
He said that the Bucks would not like to rush him back on the court as it would be even more damaging for Giannis. The fact is that they do need him on the court. According to Bayless, the Bucks have not been performing well with him, so it is tough to imagine how they would fare in the playoffs without arguably the best player on the team.
Will the Bucks be able to hold up without Giannis Antetokounmpo?
Prior to the injury, Shaquille O’Neal said that the Bucks would probably get kicked out of the tournament in the first round. According to the NBA veteran, the Bucks lack championship mentality and consistency which will cost them another shot at the title. He said,
“They don’t have a 100% effort all the time. Well, they don’t have championship effort all the time. One other, they have a lack of focus.” Now with Giannis out of the picture for the next couple of weeks, they really need to summon something extraordinary to survive.
In Giannis’ absence, the Bucks are 3-3 this season and have won their games against the Raptors, Clippers, and the Suns. As for the players who would need to step up in his absence, the team would hope that Damian Lillard has some tricks up his sleeve.
Without his Freak Time buddy, Dame has averaged 32.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 8.3 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting 47.6% from the field. Blocks leaders for the team Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis Jr., and Khris Middleton will also need to carry a lot of weight on their shoulders to keep their hopes alive.
