We all saw the announcement on Tuesday evening that Giannis Antetokounmpo will be sidelined for the next one to two weeks with a groin strain. While this is only a minor ailment, it's making the Milwaukee Bucks make one important realization: that small injuries that linger are an unfortunate inevitability of the front office's failures.
Antetokounmpo is still a top-three player in the association. But although he's "only" 30 years old, he is playing in his 13th NBA season. Combine that with the fact that he has always been a player who goes all-out on both ends of the floor, and it's easy to see why little injuries like his recent groin strain could ultimately be of greater concern than they might initially seem.
In the NBA today, we see a game that's played at a frenetic pace. There are more possessions, more distance covered on the floor per game, and more stress put on the body for players than in any previous era. It's easy to understand the arguments for the league to shorten the season in order to lessen the extent of injuries.
Lingering injuries to Giannis should be of concern to Milwaukee
At the same time, we're also seeing some of the game's greatest (LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant) extend their careers like never before. But the thing is, all those guys are achieving greater longevity while still battling their own injury troubles. Dealing with these issues is an inevitability with the way basketball is played in the NBA in 2025.
When we look at Giannis Antetokounmpo, this is a guy who's 13 years in to his career, and is now being asked to carry a major load for his team. When he's off the floor, this Bucks team clearly has a much lower ceiling and a lot more volatility.
And that's the context surrounding why a seemingly minor groin strain might be more cause for concern in Antetokounmpo's case than it would be for a third or fourth-year player in the league. He's being asked to do more than ever before due to the front office's inability to pick up more players that can uplift this team in Giannis' absence.
You'd like to believe that Antetokounmpo could just go Superman mode and carry this team all season en route to a top-four record in the conference, because he is that incredible of a player. But the reality of being 30 years old and being tasked with a heavy workload is these kinds of small injuries that can be taxing on the body over time. It's an unfortunate reality for Milwaukee.