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Fans of the Milwaukee Bucks had an overall enjoyable time watching the All-Star weekend. Giannis Antetokounmpo was one of the most involved superstars in the festivities, having fun on the sidelines during the Celebrity All-Star game, partying with his peers during All-Star Saturday Night, and drafting a team that took the All-Star game seriously enough to finally dethrone the five-year reign of Team LeBron.
But the weekend for partying and frivolous enjoyment is over. It's time for Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday, and the rest of the Bucks team to hunker down and get back to business. After all, the one-seed remains well within reach, as they sit only a half-game back of the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics.
Alas, Giannis Antetokounmpo's current wrist injury should be considerable cause for concern. It will be up to the rest of the Bucks supporting cast to try and weather the storm as their superstar recuperates.
Here are three bold predictions for the Bucks' final 24 games of the regular season as they try to build up a head of steam heading into one of the most wide-open title races in recent memory.
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3. Khris Middleton pops off to end the season
To say that the 2022-23 season has been a difficult one for Khris Middleton would be an understatement. Middleton underwent surgery on his wrist back in October, delaying his season debut until December 2 in a loss against the Los Angeles Lakers. It seemed like it could only go uphill from there for Middleton, as he played in six consecutive games for the Bucks after missing the second leg of a back-to-back on December 3.
However, his already-tough season proceeded to take an even worse turn. He missed 18 straight games due to a knee injury following a dispiriting 1-12 performance in a 41-point loss against the Memphis Grizzlies. At that point, it was easy to write off the 2022-23 campaign for Middleton.
Making his return on January 23, the Bucks limited Khris Middleton to a 15 to 20 minute role off the bench to bring him along slowly in the hopes of keeping him healthy for the stretch run. While that role is far from ideal given the huge part Middleton would have to play in a potential Bucks title run, this decision from the coaching staff could, in turn, prime the 31-year old forward for a strong end to the season.
Middleton has scored in double digits over his past six games, and he's slowly looking like the Middleton of yore. He could still miss a few games here and there due to load management, which will be especially crucial after he suffered an MCL sprain in last year's playoffs that kept him out of the last few games of the Bucks' seven-game series loss against the Celtics last year.
But with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis on the mend, the Bucks will need to count on Khris Middleton prop up their 22nd ranked offense. To Middleton's credit, he will be more than up to the task. He should be back to his smooth shooting ways on the perimeter as he continues to distance himself from his injury woes.
2. Brook Lopez wins DPOY
The Bucks have had their fair share of struggles in putting the ball through the hoop throughout the 2022-23 campaign. After placing in the top 10 in offensive rating for five straight seasons (even ranking within the top five over the past two seasons), the Bucks' offensive rating has plummeted to bottom-10 status.
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Even then, the Bucks remain within shouting distance of the best record in the NBA. And it's all thanks to their incredible collective defensive performance.
At the heart of their second-ranked defense (behind only the Cleveland Cavaliers) is Brook Lopez, who has come back from an injury-ravaged 2021-22 season with a vengeance. Lopez is tied with Nicolas Claxton for the most blocks this season, and he makes the Bucks' drop coverage work as well as they intend.
The Bucks are six points better when Lopez is on the court; their defense falls to around the Denver Nuggets' 13th-ranked outfit whenever the 34-year old center is on the bench, per PBP Stats.
The narrative may be on Jaren Jackson Jr.'s side, given his extraordinary ability to rack up defensive stats and his even more otherworldly impact on the Grizzlies' defense. (The Grizzlies' defense is seven points better with JJJ on the floor, and they are around 14 points better overall during his minutes.)
However, the Bucks being able to avoid a drastic fall-off amid Giannis Antetokounmpo's absence will draw attention to Lopez's stellar season. As a result, voters will acknowledge Lopez's contributions with his first piece of individual silverware.
1. Bucks fall to the 3-seed, but they won't care
Giannis Antetokounmpo has made it known that the Bucks don't particularly care about where they end up on the standings. Playing effective basketball and remaining healthy remain as their most pressing priorities. Thus, the Bucks should end up resting their stars here and there to end the season with a playoff berth just a matter of formality.
This will then enable the Philadelphia 76ers to overtake the Bucks. The Sixers, after years of playoff disappointment, will be motivated to hunt for a better seed to give them an (in theory) easier matchup.
Nonetheless, the Bucks will not care one bit; after all, they finished the past two seasons, including their championship-winning 2021 campaign, as the three-seed. Seeding matters, but only to an extent; the best teams will still have to encounter the best on their way to the NBA Finals anyway.
