Big man Jericho Sims has been a sizeable boost to the Milwaukee Bucks' frontcourt rotation lately.
Just when it felt like Sims had started finding his footing in his role, it appears he's going to deal with some unfortunate adversity. Prior to Milwaukee's game against the OKC Thunder, Doc Rivers told the media that Sims' injured thumb is a "pretty good injury" and one that will require some decisions soon. When asked if that meant surgery, Rivers said that was a "consideration."
Sims injured the thumb in Milwaukee's prior contest against the Indiana Pacers, but after getting it taped up, he reentered the matchup. It felt like this would be something he would shake off, but with Rivers suggesting that surgery is on the table, this injury is clearly far greater than many first thought.
Jericho Sims missing time would be brutal for Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are already short-handed in the frontcourt with Bobby Portis suspended and set to miss plenty more games. Losing Sims on top of that would only worsen the matter, leaving the Bucks even more thin behind Brook Lopez, who certainly cannot control the center spot by himself.
It felt like Sims needed to start taking minutes from Lopez due to their differing style of play, but this injury certainly may throw a wrench into that plan.
For now, it will be all about the waiting game. Like Ryan Rollins did earlier this season with his injured shoulder, Sims may opt to play through it if possible rather than opting for surgery. The big man was active for Milwaukee's contest against OKC, but he only logged just under 12 minutes.
Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks may test the waters to see how that thumb holds up before making a drastic call like surgery. The injury bug has been Milwaukee's main foe over the last several seasons, and it has struck once again. Time will tell just how much it changes things for the Bucks this time.
The bad news didn't stop there for the Milwaukee Bucks
Things didn't get much better immediately after Rivers delivered that news. The Bucks put up a good fight early, but they were no match for the Thunder, even with them missing several key pieces. OKC built up a sizeable lead and never looked back as Milwaukee's struggles against the NBA's top teams continued to loom over them. OKC won 121-105 amid Milwaukee's inconsistent stretch.
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