BUCKS GET DISCOURAGING UPDATE ON GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO'S INJURY STATUS
- Giannis Antetokounmpo is still unable to play, missing critical playoff games.
- Jump shot progress is being made, which is critical for his return, but the chances of that are low.
- The Bucks are cautious not to rush Antetokounmpo back, and are prepared to play without him.
The Milwaukee Bucks find themselves tied with the Indiana Pacers 1-1 in the first round of the NBA playoffs. But if they wish to win the round, they will have to do it without Giannis Antetokounmpo. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Antetokounmpo is still not able to run or scrimmage.
“[Giannis is] still not much cutting, no scrimmaging, no all out running yet and those are all things natural progression that he's gonna need to have he's gonna come back from a calf injury. This is the same like we talked about Achilles, hamstring and now calf. They need to be cautious, they need to be careful.” -Shams Charania
Antetokounmpo has so far missed the first two games of the series against the Pacers. The Bucks did manage to take Game 1 by a score of 109-94, thanks to heroic efforts from sharpshooter Damian Lillard.
But Game 2 was a much bleaker result for Milwaukee, as they were blown out by a score of 125-108. It was known that Antetokounmpo did take shots on the floor during practice, before Game 2, which is a promising sign.
“[He] shot today, was on the floor a bunch. He’s getting closer.” -Doc Rivers prior to Game 2
Jump Shot Progress
There has been some progress with Antetokounmpo’s jump shot, which is crucial
With the calf injury, the primary benefactor for Antetokounmpo’s return will be his jumping ability. This comes with the ability to jump shoot, something all NBA players must execute but Antetokounmpo in particular is known for his elite jump shot. According to Shams Charania, there is some progress on that front.
“The key for Giannis right now with this calf injury is starting to do some jumping on your shooting and I'm told he has at least started to do some stationary jump shooting and that was a big development for him…When they bring him back, he's got to go through the natural progressions. And I think that will start with the cutting and the scrimmaging and the running and the full throttle jumping on your jump shots.” -Shams Charania
The update is discouraging, and it likely rules out any chances of Antetokounmpo returning in this series. The Bucks have already prepared for the worst in case he does not return this year, in which case they would have quite an uphill battle to climb.
Rushing His Return
The Bucks seek not to rush Antetokounmpo's return
Even if he does return, the Bucks want to ensure that he is not rushed. That could reaggravate the calf and injure him further, and not to mention, he would not be nearly as effective.
But perhaps he could return soon if the Bucks get desperate, as Giannis on the court operating at 50 percent is better than no Giannis on the court, at least in the Bucks’ eyes.
“Game three is Friday. I think the fact that you haven't progressed to that, and we'll see if he does over the next two days, game three might be pushing it, game four on Sunday. But I think the Bucks have to be prepared to keep playing on without Giannis making sure he's 100% when he does make it back.” -Shams Charania
Antetokounmpo injured the calf on April 9, in a game against the Boston Celtics. It was a non-contact injury which saw Antetokounmpo grab his left calf and go down in pain.
He left for the locker room at that point and has not returned to the court since. The Bucks are 6-5 this season in games their superstar has missed.
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