If the Milwaukee Bucks‘ elimination from the NBA Playoffs in six games at the hands of the Indiana Pacers proved anything, it is that the team is nowhere near ready for life without Giannis Antetokounmpo. The two-time NBA MVP suffered a soleus injury towards the end of the regular season and was unable to play in any of Milwaukee’s playoff games this year.
Apr 9, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) grabs his leg in the third quarter and left game against the Boston Celtics with an injury at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
It certainly was a disappointing end to the season, especially considering the expectations they had going into the season. The pairing of Giannis and Damian Lillard was supposed to help bring Milwaukee back to the NBA Finals. However, coaching struggles and changes before and during the season provided evidence that the team just was not ready to compete together.
The Milwaukee Bucks Did Not Have Their Stars Healthy After Doc Rivers Took Over
Mar 14, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo during warmups prior to the game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
The fact of the matter is that the Bucks’ core of Giannis, Dame, and Khris Middleton only played six games together with Doc Rivers at the helm. The Lillard trade happened shortly before training camp began, so Milwaukee’s stars barely got any time to work together and build chemistry before they started playing games.
Due to injuries to various players, they also did not get to play nearly as much together during the season as they wanted. Still, many viewed the Bucks as a team that was built for the postseason. Unfortunately, no one will ever know if this particular group of players would have been enough to bring a Championship back to Milwaukee.
Milwaukee Bucks Star Giannis Antetokounmpo Gets Emotional During End of Season Press Conference
Apr 7, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) pushes the ball up the court against New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
In his end of season press conference, Giannis talked about several things, from his plans for the offseason to opening up about his injury. One thing that surprised many fans was the fact that, despite the hope that he might have been able to play in a Game Seven or the second round, Giannis was weeks away from being able to play.
He spoke more about the injury and how it affected him mentally:
“I have never worked this hard in my entire freaking life to get back on the court,” Giannis said. “And I feel like I let my teammates down. As much as I know that injuries happen and sometimes you cannot control that… I worked extremely hard.”
Giannis goes onto say that, even though he goes to extraordinary lengths to take care of his body, he is going to try to find more ways to avoid injuries. He admits that this may include changing the way he plays the game.
He also says that this injury at this point in the season was the first time that his heart and mind were screaming for him to play, but his body simply would not allow him to.
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