The Milwaukee Bucks had the best record in the NBA before the 2019-20 season was suspended in March. The team was 53-12 and looked primed once again for a deep playoff run.
When basketball games resume at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, players from all 22 teams are going to be rusty.
However, this extended break did benefit three Bucks players who were dealing with injuries prior to games getting suspended.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
The reigning MVP was dealing with a left knee injury before games were suspended. The Greek Freak suffered the ailment against the Los Angeles Lakers on March 6 at Staples Center.
The hiatus allowed Giannis Antetokounmpo to rest his knee and spend time with his newborn son. Now, the Bucks superstar is going to be 100 percent when games start back up again, which is a sight no opponents in the NBA wants to see.
Giannis is averaging 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists on the season. He could very well win his second straight MVP.
Eric Bledsoe
Like Antetokounmpo, Eric Bledsoe had knee soreness as well before the break kicked in. The explosive point guard was suffering from right knee effusion.
Bledsoe has undergone multiple knee surgeries in his career. The hiatus allowed the man they call “Mini LeBron” to rest and get his knee back to 100 percent.
Prior to games getting suspended, Bledsoe was averaging 15.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.4 assists for the Bucks in 56 games. He has to play well in the 2020 playoffs for Milwaukee to win the title, as Bledsoe was awful in the 2019 postseason and his poor play was a big reason why the Bucks blew a 2-0 series lead against the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals.
Kyle Korver
In his first season with the Bucks, Kyle Korver was averaging 6.7 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists while shooting 41.5 percent from deep. However, the sharpshooter was only able to play in 50 games before Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert's positive COVID-19 test because of a nagging back injury.
The hiatus must have been great for Korver and his back.
Because Antetokounmpo commands so much attention from opposing defenses when he puts his head down and drives to the basket, the more shooters the Bucks can surround him with, the better.
Opposing teams are never going to leave Korver open from 3. As a result, Giannis and Bledsoe tend to drive to the basket on Korver’s side of the floor since they'll have an easier path getting to the rim.
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