Late in the Bucks’ attempted comeback against the Nuggets Friday night, Giannis Antetokounmpo pulled up with what appeared to be a non-contact leg injury.
Speaking to reporters postgame, Antetokounmpo said this felt like his previous two calf strains, that he expects the MRI tomorrow will confirm that, and he thinks he will be sidelined 4-6 weeks.
If Antetokounmpo is correct and he is out for at least a month, it will impact a few things.
First, this spells real trouble for the Bucks’ chances of making the postseason. The Bucks were already 18-26, the No. 11 seed and 2.5 games out of the play-in. Without Antetokounmpo this season, the Bucks are 3-10 and have a -10.1 net rating when he is off the court. It’s more likely the Bucks fall back deeper into the lottery without Antetokounmpo, digging a very deep hole to try to climb out of when he returns.
Second, Antetokounmpo would not be able to play in the All-Star Game on Feb. 16. He was voted an All-Star Game starter by the fans and would have started for the World Team in this year’s USA vs. World format. Commissioner Adam Silver will choose his replacement from the East for the All-Star Game.
Third, he would not reach the 65-game threshold set by the league and therefore would not be eligible for any NBA postseason awards, such as MVP or being named to an All-NBA team.
Finally, this might slow down the speculation about Antetokounmpo being traded before the Feb. 5 trade deadline. As we have reported here at NBC Sports, the Bucks had no plans to trade Antetokounmpo before the deadline, and he has said he would not demand a trade. That never stopped the rumors. All the speculation will flood back this summer, but talk of him being traded before the deadline should quiet down for a while.