The Milwaukee Bucks are 29-24 on the season, good for the fifth seed in the NBA Eastern Conference, heading into the home stretch of the the year following the All-Star break. Much has changed since the beginning of the 2024-25 NBA regular season, and Bucks fans will soon find out if they have been for the better, or if they have made the team worse.
Of course, the changes that were made include trading Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma. Moving on from a franchise legend like Middleton is never easy, but his recent injury history made him expendable, especially given the fact that his inability to move quickly on either side of the floor forced head coach Doc Rivers to move him from the starting lineup to the bench.
Kuzma certainly makes the team both younger and faster, though he is not nearly as good of a shooter as Middleton. That being said, the best ability, especially come the postseason, is availability, and the Bucks need their best players to be available.
Milwaukee Bucks Star Giannis Antetokounmpo Wanted to Be Smart About His Recent Injury
Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo is averaging 31.8 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game in what has been yet another MVP-caliber season. However, he may not qualify for any postseason awards or honors this year due to the amount of games he has missed due to injuries.
Despite being the leading vote-getter among NBA players on his way to his ninth All-Star selection, Giannis did not play in the game(s) due to a calf strain that kept him from participating in any of Milwaukee’s previous six games heading into the break.
One would be hard-pressed to find someone who cares as little about postseason accolades as Giannis, whose sole focus right now is being healthy for the NBA Playoffs.
According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, Giannis recently told reporters:
Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t talked with the media about his left calf strain since it occurred in Charlotte on Feb. 5.
Here is what Antetokounmpo said about what happened and the decision to sit out since that night: pic.twitter.com/xGJCnDNlFu
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) February 19, 2025
“I’ve said this this year, I want to be smart. One of my goals is to be available for the playoffs.”
Giannis was too hurt to play in two games of Milwaukee’s opening round loss to the Miami Heat in 2023, and missed the entire first round last year against the Indiana Pacers due to a calf strain.
“Obviously, we are 30 games away, that’s a long time. But at the end of the day, my main focus is to take care of my body, be smart and I tried. I tried to play [before the All-Star break], but I still felt that discomfort the day after Charlotte, so I think it was smart to take a few days off going into the rehab protocol, take care of my body, get my calf right and get back healthy. That’s it.”
At this point, the Bucks, as a team, should not worry so much about seeding. As long as they are one of the top six seeds in the Eastern Conference, they can avoid the play-in tournament. Currently, Milwaukee is the fifth seed, and just one game behind the Indiana Pacers for fourth.
Instead, the Bucks should look to enter the NBA Playoffs as healthy as possible. Injuries are what led to their defeats in every postseason since they won the title in 2021. Being healthy could mean great things for them.
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