It's going to be a bit of a rough game against the Chicago Bulls for the Milwaukee Bucks. After all, superstar and team leader Giannis Antetokounmpo has been ruled out for the upcoming Central Division clash with a right ankle sprain.
It will be Giannis' 10th missed game of the season after missing six straight contests earlier this April.
The Bucks say a right ankle sprain rules Giannis Antetokounmpo out of their next game against Chicago.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) April 30, 2021
Normally, this wouldn't be the worst news, at least against the normally lowly Bulls. At this point, the Bucks are perennial contenders for the Eastern Conference Finals at least, and they have plenty of two-way weapons outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday are a ferocious trio of perimeter playmakers on both ends of the floor, and any Mike Budenholzer-coached team will be tough to keep up with in the scoring column.
But these aren't your typical mid-to-late 2010s Bulls. While Zach LaVine is out, Nikola Vucevic's presence gives the team a lethal weapon on offense. Without Giannis manning the paint, good luck stopping Vooch, as Vucevic's incredible post game, touch and shooting could be a nightmare for Milwaukee.
But regardless of how the Bucks exit this upcoming contest, the silver lining is that this injury doesn't sound too severe. Milwaukee is once again comfortably one of the top teams in the East this season, even if they're being underrated by many, and this rest might be good for Giannis, especially with a long postseason ahead. He'll need all of the energy he can muster in order to get past one or both of the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets to take Milwaukee to their first Finals appearances in years.
Heal and rest up, big man. You're going to need every single bit of it.
Follow Us
Subscribe