Milwaukee Bucks: What’s next with Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined?

Once two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo went down shouting in pain while grabbing his left knee almost midway through the third quarter of a 110-88 Game 4 loss against the Atlanta Hawks, the Milwaukee Bucks couldn’t stop holding their breath. The entire Milwaukee fanbase immediately feared the worst after watching Antetokounmpo land awkwardly while contesting a lob for Hawks center Clint Capela.

Thankfully, it appears that Antetokounmpo and the Bucks dodged a bullet. ESPN was first to report that “there is no structural damage” to Antetokounmpo’s left knee, which was great news to hear following an emotional period of distress and anticipation.

Giannis could still be out for the remainder of the 2021 NBA Playoffs, but it feels like a miracle that his knee doesn’t have any structural damage based on the high degree of hyperextension that was vividly seen. It’s certainly a major relief that it wasn’t an ultra-serious ACL injury or a setback that would have affected the rest of his promising career.

Giannis Antetokounmpo will likely miss time following an unfortunate hyperextension to his left knee. What’s next for the Milwaukee Bucks in these playoffs?

Thankfully, Antetokounmpo should at least recover in time to be a full-go for the start of next season, and it’s not out of the question that he’d be able to suit up again this postseason. The Milwaukee Bucks have announced that Antetokounmpo is listed as doubtful for Game 5 against the Hawks with the series tied 2-2 heading back to Milwaukee.

With Giannis Antetokoumpo likely sidelined for now, the Milwaukee Bucks must find a way to defeat the Hawks without their superstar forward and established leader. We’ve seen this resilient team overcome adversity at various times throughout the season, but this will be their greatest challenge with an NBA Finals berth and more at stake.

Obviously, replacing Antetokounmpo’s superstardom and freakishness is an impossible task, but there’s still plenty of combined talent on the Bucks that’s capable of uplifting success. It’ll be essential for head coach Mike Budenholzer to maximize the most out of his adjusted rotations and for the players to come together and compete with heart, grit, perseverance, and a determined, ‘underdog’ mentality — for Giannis.

More from Hoops Habit

• 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
• Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
• Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
• Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
• NBA Trades: The Lakers bolster their frontcourt in this deal with the Pacers

Antetokounmpo’s co-stars, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, will surely have to step up offensively in his absence. We should expect to see more pick and roll sets with Holiday or Middleton as ball-handlers, and more aggression in general since they’ll need to serve as the main initiators, whether it’s playmaking or scoring.

Instead of settling for too many step-back jumpers and perimeter shots, the Bucks need Jrue Holiday to attack the rim more often and utilize his speed and strength to efficiently facilitate and either create for others or finish on his own. Atlanta’s guards simply can’t keep up with him, and Jrue did a great job of taking advantage of that in Game 1 and 2.

Most of the attention will now be directed toward Khris Middleton offensively. He’s shown how lethal he can be as a first-option throughout these playoffs and the Hawks still have a sour taste from witnessing Middleton catch fire to pour in 20 fourth-quarter points to top off his 38-point performance in Game 3. Khris will now be tasked with being the clear-cut No. 1 option for the Bucks, so it’s his time to shine and lead this group on the biggest stage.

Needless to say, Antetokounmpo was the main source of production for Milwaukee’s offense. Before the injury, the 26-year-old star was averaging 28.2 points on 55.1 percent field goals along with 12.7 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game. For the Bucks to come out on top without him, Middleton and Holiday will have to consistently and efficiently carry the load while giving it everything they have inside them. Milwaukee will need both of them to exceed their usual production.

Can the Milwaukee Bucks do what it takes to survive without Giannis Antetokounmpo?

Do they have what it takes? Both have a chance to put their past inconsistencies behind them and inspire this special group. It’ll be a difficult challenge that could shape their respective reputation and legacy moving forward.

Meanwhile, pressure will be mounting on Budenholzer once again in regard to his rotational decision-making and game plan. After already losing Donte DiVincenzo for the rest of the postseason, he’ll have to dig deeper into the depth of the roster to fill the near-40 minutes that Antetokounmpo was receiving.

Pat Connaughton will likely be inserted into the starting lineup alongside Holiday, Middleton, P.J. Tucker, and Brook Lopez while Jeff Teague should make his way into the rotation to join Bobby Portis and Bryn Forbes off the bench. The Bucks should stay with an eight-man rotation.

More from Milwaukee Bucks

• NBA Rumors: 3 teams emerge as most-likely Giannis destinations
• 7 players the Milwaukee Bucks gave up on far too soon
• Report: Bucks, 76ers, and Suns all vying to land this championship coach 
• 5 potential candidates for Bucks’ head coach
• NBA Rumors: Milwaukee may overhaul roster after early playoff exit

As for the game plan, Bud and the coaching staff need to come up with more creative sets in order to form more efficient looks offensively. With Giannis off the court and even on the court at times, the Bucks’ offense has gone through stretches of becoming too stagnant and predictable with little to no ball movement, poor shot selection or forced shots, and a lack of purpose.

Especially with Antetokounmpo out now, Milwaukee can’t afford to settle for mostly isolation or contested perimeter shots on possessions. As mentioned before, we should see more of Holiday and Middleton in the pick and roll, to begin with. Additionally, feeding Lopez and Portis in the paint along with running sets for Forbes or others such as Connaughton and Middleton off dribble handoffs and back screens should be implemented more as well within Bud’s offensive system.

Despite losing Antetokounmpo, the Milwaukee Bucks won’t go down lightly, but it’ll depend on the tactics from Budenholzer and the pure heart of this team that determine their optimistic fate. I’ve gone on the record before stating that this special group is the most talented team that the Milwaukee Bucks have ever assembled in the history of the franchise, and while they took a disheartening blow on Tuesday night, they still have a solid chance to make inspirational history.

As the series returns to Milwaukee for Game 5 tied 2-2, the Bucks must come out with a high sense of urgency and complete togetherness right away, unlike how they started Game 4 in Atlanta. They’re still two wins away from the NBA Finals.

Although Giannis Antetokounmpo will be supporting and lifting the spirits of the team from the sidelines, the Milwaukee Bucks’ goal remains the same. While they aim to climb over more substantial adversity, Milwaukee must sustain belief and fight for each other in the most mentally tough way we know they’re capable of. As Antetokounmpo has emphasized multiple times throughout this postseason, these Bucks are “built for this.”