The Milwaukee Bucks have more insult to their injuries, as Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss his first game of the season with a right adductor strain, according to the Bucks. Antetokounmpo landed on the injury report heading into Monday's game but this is the final word from the team.
They're currently 1-5 and are facing off against the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers. After winning their first game against a depleted Philadelphia 76ers team, they've dropped five straight. The losses come with Damian Lillard and Antetokounmpo playing significant minutes together.
The Bucks are dead last in the Eastern Conference, only behind the 76ers, who don't have Paul George. Their offensive and defensive numbers haven't been up to expectations. For instance, Milwaukee averages 111.3 points per game and allows 118.7 points per game. Those metrics are 11th and 24th in the league, respectively.
Compared to last season, the offense has taken a downward spiral. Milwaukee had the fourth-best offense in the league averaging 119 points per game. The combination of Lillard and Antetokounmpo proved too much for defenses to handle. However, the substitution of Jrue Holiday for Lillard revealed defensive holes in the team.
The Bucks have struggled, even with Giannis Antetokounmpo playing well
Holiday covers a variety of positions and plays incredibly well off the ball. For Lillard, he needs the ball in his hands to truly dominate. While he's a fantastic scorer in his own right, so is Antetokounmpo. However, he also needs the ball in his hands to attack the paint and get to the free-throw line. As a result, it's thrown the fluidity of the offense off.
Also, head coach Doc Rivers took over last season for Adrian Griffin and hasn't looked too good. Although Rivers took ownership after the blowout loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, that's only part of the struggles. Antetokounmpo himself is putting up nice numbers. He's averaging 31 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 6.3 assists per game. However, he's shooting a disastrous 53.1% from the free-throw line.
Regardless of the numbers, a team can't have one or two people dominating and expecting to win consistently. With Lillard and Antetokounmpo dominating statistically, having the Greek Freak out won't make matters any easier. Also, Cleveland took the first game of a back-to-back set on Saturday. Now, they have additional injuries as well, making this a more interesting game.
Still, Antetokounmpo's injury could expose the Bucks for how they've performed this year. The Cavaliers will aim for their eighth win of the season, while Milwaukee hopes to gain some positive momentum, regardless of the outcome.
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