Milwaukee Bucks: 3 storylines to follow for remainder of regular season
By Dalton Sell
The overall health of the Milwaukee Bucks down the stretch
A reason why the Bucks have struggled to gain momentum towards notching that top seed recently has been the health of the roster.
Milwaukee has been significantly banged up lately, highlighted by last Friday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets, where they were without all five starters. While that could have potentially been more attributed to precautionary measures with the unfriendly scheduling, there is no questioning that Giannis Antetokounmpo is hurting. The Greek Freak has missed the team’s last five games due to lingering knee soreness.
There is currently no timetable for his return, which certainly clouds what will eventually be Milwaukee’s outcome as the regular season winds down. The team has managed to go 2-3 without him, albeit in one of those games they were without every other starter, as previously mentioned. It goes without saying that the Bucks are a far different team without the two-time MVP in the lineup, and only time will reveal how healthy he genuinely is.
Another name that has missed extended time for the Bucks is P.J. Tucker. The forward suited up in just three games for the team before suffering a left calf strain, which has kept him out of the lineup for their last 10 consecutive games.
The forward has logged just 44 total minutes with the Bucks, and it will be interesting to see if he can get up to speed with such little time left in the regular season. Tucker’s defensive versatility to bolster their bench is why Milwaukee traded for him midseason, and they have not gotten a good look at what he brings to the table just yet. With the playoffs inching close, hopefully Tucker can get healthy and get in some game reps with his teammates before then.
These injuries have the Bucks battling through adversity, and whether the Bucks can get back to full strength will be something to monitor over the next several weeks.