Will Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo play in the first round of the NBA Playoffs?

Was it a tear or a strain? These are questions that the Milwaukee Bucks and their fans were stressing about over the last few days. As things stand, it appears the Bucks’ biggest star has avoided the worst of it and will return in time to help his team in the opening round of the postseason.

Giannis to miss Indiana Pacers series

It’s now clear that the Indiana Pacers and their fans have reason to feel better after reports confirmed that their first-round opponent in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks, are expected to be without star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Of course, the news isn’t exactly a surprise with earlier reports indicating that the two-time MVP was a doubt for Game 1 of the series, but now it seems as though there is the possibility that he may miss the series in its entirety. Antetokounmpo was previously diagnosed with a calf strain and to that end missed the Bucks’ final three regular-season Games after suffering the injury on April 9th.

Regarding specifics, it was late in the third quarter of the Bucks’ win over the Boston Celtics on that day, when Antetokounmpo inbounded the ball to Damian Lillard and began to move down the court when he suddenly and without any contact, collapsed on the floor while grabbing his lower left leg. The 29-year-old was later helped back to the locker room, and a subsequent MRI revealed that he had strained his calf but avoided Achilles tendon damage - an initial fear. To be clear, the Bucks indicated at the time that he would not play the remainder of the regular season but gave no further word on a timeline beyond that. Adding further weight to the uncertainty, was the fact that coach Doc Rivers declined to provide any clarity on when Giannis would be back. On the other hand, he did state that the results of the MRI offered “some relief” around the organization. “No timeline or anything like that,” Rivers said ahead of the Bucks’ clash with the Orlando Magic on April 10th. “There’s no one who’s gonna work harder than him, you know that, so he’ll be back when he should be back. We’ll find out when that is. I’m hoping [he’ll be back for Game 1 of the playoffs]. I don’t know. I’m just hoping.”

So what now for the Bucks and Giannis?

That’s a good question. The Bucks remain one of the best teams in the NBA, but it’s also clear that they are not the same team that won a championship in 2021, a moment when they and Antetokounmpo were truly coming to a head. Consider for a moment that since his first MVP award in 2018-19, the Bucks are 39-40 without him on the floor, including the playoffs. Milwaukee went 4-5 this season with Antetokounmpo sidelined, something that has not happened often or for long periods of time.

Prior to the injury against the Celtics, Antetokounmpo had missed only six games all season. He had been struggling with niggling injuries for some time, but on the other hand, serious problems such as Achilles tendnitis and hamstring tendinopathy - both in his left leg we’re not the issue, despite the fact that he was seemingly aware of the risk. “Calves, hamstrings, they’re shaky,” Antetokounmpo said after a win over the Sixers on March 14th. “If you have a strain or whatever the case may be... you don’t mess with stuff like that.”

At this point, it may be that both the ‘Greek Freak’ and his team have to push limits. The reality is without him the Bucks’ chances of success in their playoff run will diminish considerably. Do recall that when they attempted to defend their title in 2022, the team’s run was brought to an abrupt end due to injuries to both Giannis and another key player, Khris Middleton, something that resulted in a first-round departure. At this point, there is no need to exaggerate, but the reality is the Bucks were taken apart in their last two games - without Giannis - against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic. Should their main man be unable to return in time to face the Pacers - a team that has had the better of them all season - it’s quite likely they will be going home sooner than planned. For perspective, Antetokounmpo has averaged 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds and a career-high 6.5 assists on 61.1% shooting from the field this season, which is to say his absence is a huge loss for the team. The Bucks start their series with the Pacers this coming Sunday at home. Watch this space.