Bucks injury report: Will Giannis Antetokounmpo be available against the Pistons?
By Ian Levy
Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed on the Bucks injury report for Monday, Jan. 23. Will he be able to play tonight against the Detroit Pistons?
Two-time MVP Giannis Antetkounmpo is as essential as any player in the NBA to his team’s success and the last five games for the Milwaukee Bucks are a perfect example. Giannis has missed the last five games dealing with a knee injury and the Bucks have gone 2-3, getting leapfrogged by the Philadelphia 76ers in the standings and slipping into a tie with the Brooklyn Nets for third in the Eastern Conference.
Before this stretch, the Bucks were actually 4-2 on the season when Giannis was unable to play. But across the entire season, they’ve been outscored by an average of 2.2 points per 100 possessions anytime he’s not on the floor, compared to a plus-3.9 per 100 possession point differential when he’s on the court.
Will Giannis Antetokounmpo be back in the Bucks lineup against the Pistons?
Giannis is still listed on the Bucks injury report but his status has been updated to probable for tonight. At this point, it’s still not clear that he’ll actually be able to play but things appear to be trending in a more positive direction for the Bucks.
In Giannis’ absence, Jrue Holiday has stepped up in a huge way, averaging 27.2 points, 9.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game on 55.2/44.1/78.9 shooting splits. If he can continue playing like that even with Giannis back in the lineup, the Bucks will be in great shape. Bobby Portis has also been a big contributor, averaging 16.6 points per game over the last five and bolstering his case for Sixth Man of the Year.
Khris Middleton — who has appeared in just seven games this season and hasn’t played since Dec. 15 — is also listed as probable on the Bucks injury report.
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