Delayed Giannis return finally bit the Bucks in painfully predictable way

Entering Sunday's game against Toronto, the Milwaukee Bucks had won six of seven, gaining unexpected momentum with Giannis Antetokounmpo still sidelined by a calf strain.

Projected to re-take the floor shortly after the All-Star break, he remains without a definite timetable to return. If that 122-94 loss showed the Bucks anything, it's that they may need him back sooner rather than later. 

Once again, Toronto's lanky, physical forwards exposed them on either end of the floor. Offensively, Milwaukee guards lapsed into isolation sets, and ball movement ground to a halt. On defense, the Raptors crashed the glass for offensive rebounds and muscled their way to loose balls. Kyle Kuzma and AJ Green struggled in the starting forward spots. Even Ousmane Dieng was neutralized off the bench. 

The Bucks survived just fine against smaller lineups, but against the Raptors, they badly needed an athletic, dominant forward of their own in the form of the Greek Freak. 

Bucks need Giannis back to counter physical competition

Missing a two-time MVP, the obvious leader of the team, is supposed to make things difficult. It has been for most of the season. After Giannis strained his calf in Denver on January 23, the Bucks dropped the next three games. At that point, they were just 3-14 overall in Antetokounmpo's absence. 

Once the losing streak reached five, though, they rattled off a few wins against tanking teams. Dieng and Cam Thomas provided a boost at the trade deadline. The Bucks knocked off the Magic and Thunder on the road to enter the break and beat up on the Pelicans coming out of it. 

Antetokounmpo's absence finally caught up with them versus Toronto. On the one hand, the Raptors (34-23, fifth in the East) are simply a good team. The Bucks (24-31, 11th) were due to lose one. 

At the same time, they clearly missed Giannis in that particular matchup. Even with Scottie Barnes missing, the Raptors had plenty of length and strength to stymie a smaller Bucks lineup. Per Doc Rivers, their physicality "completely took us out of the game." 

Without Barnes, it's not like Toronto is huge. They're just long, lean, and mean, and that clearly posed a problem for the Bucks. Earlier, Milwaukee caught a break facing an injured Thunder squad whose starting five featured one player above 6-foot-7. Other than being undersized at center with rookie Derik Queen, New Orleans actually brought out a fairly large group. Then again, it's the Pelicans. Their wing depth isn't great. Neither, at the moment, was Oklahoma City's. 

Again, though, it's not just about size. The Raptors simply brought an energy that the Bucks couldn't match. From an energy standpoint, Giannis has no problem bringing down the hammer on his foes. That would have helped defensively, on the interior and contesting shots, but also on the other end.

Right now, the Milwaukee Bucks are heavily dependent on their guards for playmaking. Having Giannis there to see over taller heads and longer wingspans would help circumvent some of the crowding in passing lanes.

Perhaps most importantly, he could simply put his head down and bulldoze his way to the basket without being bothered by the length and toughness of Raptors forwards. He would have made them feel Barnes' absence in a way Kuzma or Jericho Sims simply can't. 

With upcoming matchups against East Contenders like Miami, Cleveland, and New York, the Bucks will need Giannis as a do-it-all physical force more than ever. Hopefully he's fully rested and ready to return before too long.