Milwaukee Bucks: Takeaways from the Bucks 111-106 loss to the Charlotte Hornets

Giannis’ Health

Obviously losing a game that the Bucks should have won hurts. Even without Giannis Antetokounmpo in the lineup the Bucks were able to build an 18-point lead over Charlotte which makes the loss even more difficult to swallow.

However, one loss will always take a back seat to the health of the Bucks’ 23-year-old superstar. Right knee soreness is beginning to become a phrase that makes Bucks’ fans cringe as this is the same injury that caused a stir for Giannis over the summer when he opted not to play in EuroBasket 2017, as well as the same injury that held him out of a game against the Phoenix Suns earlier this season.

The fact that the Bucks seem to be strategic about when they are resting Antetokounmpo is a positive indication that this is more about injury management than a consistent problem, but telling Bucks’ fans, who are tired of seeing this team show such positive signs only to lose a game they should win, not to worry may be difficult.

The good news is that neither Giannis nor Jason Kidd seem extremely worried about the injury. Giannis gave his thoughts on the situation to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel prior to Saturday’s game.

"“Oh no, I’m definitely not worried. Just got to be a little bit cautious about it. That’s what my team wants me to do. I think that’s the best decision for my knee. Just got to be careful because at the end of the day, we’re a really good team, and we want to make the playoffs. We want to go deep in the playoffs. … We don’t want anything happening right now to my knee that’s going to affect the team in the long run.”"

Kidd was also extremely nonchalant about the situation saying he had “no concerns” about his MVP candidate’s knee.