Kyle Kuzma exited the Milwaukee Bucks' latest matchup against the Toronto Raptors due to an ankle sprain and was swiftly ruled out for the rest of the night. It's a tough blow for the Bucks, who already lost Kevin Porter Jr. to an ankle sprain in their first matchup. In their first two games of the season, the Milwaukee Bucks have already lost two significant contributors to injury.
Bucks may need to tweak the rotation once again
The Milwaukee Bucks went out this summer and became a deep team. Rather than pouring all of their money into their top two or three players, Milwaukee spread the wealth to give them nice depth from top to bottom. That depth was already being put to the test amid Porter's injury, but it only increases now that Kuzma may miss some time to recover as well.
Currently, there's no telling exactly how long this injury might sideline Kuzma. Like Porter, he will likely undergo an MRI that will determine the next steps. Hopefully, like Porter, this is something where the hope is that it knocks him out for just a couple of games. In the meantime, the Milwaukee Bucks must find ways to stay afloat.
In Porter's place, Ryan Rollins and Cole Anthony must continue to embrace even more responsibility. They've been wreaking (positive) havoc dating back to training camp, and it's translated to the games so far. In particular, these two must step up as shot creators, an area that was lacking in Milwaukee's recent outing against Toronto. Someone has to fill in Porter's role in that regard.
In Kuzma's spot, Taurean Prince and Amir Coffey will be the next two up. Prince has adapted well to his new bench role, and as he showed last year, he's not opposed to increased minutes. Coffey has been scarcely used in the rotation, but Doc Rivers is a fan of him, so this could be his opportunity to prove he belongs in the mix.
Adversity strikes. It didn't take too long. In past years, injuries like this may have crushed the Bucks. This year, they will be out to fight back.
Despite missing Porter and Kuzma's early exit, the Milwaukee Bucks got an ugly win over the Raptors on the road. Depth was indeed a massive factor, as Cole Anthony poured in 23 points, while Gary Trent Jr. had 20. It's time to keep the ball rolling.
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