Latest Giannis Antetokounmpo update puts early Bucks playoff exit in play

As the Milwaukee Bucks gear up for their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers, the franchise may be missing their cornerstone for the entire series. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Giannis Antetokounmpo could be out for quite possibly the entire series. The reporter continued on the Stadium NBA Playoff Preview show by saying that when it comes to recovery, this injury recovery could be " anywhere from 2-4 weeks."

Antetokoumpo is currently recovering from a calf injury that he suffered in their final regular season matchup against the Boston Celtics. Throughout the season, the superstar has suffered lower body injuries that haven't been as serious but have forced the star to miss a couple of games.

With the playoff schedule and injury timeline for Giannis released, Game 3 seems like the earliest possible return date. Things could get worse if the star doesn't progress in his rehab and if he misses another week, the star could miss the first five games of this series. With Antetokoumpo's status in question for this series, are the Bucks poised for an early exit?

Are the Bucks set for a first-round exit with Giannis Antetokoumpo possibly missing multiple games?

Considering the high pace that Indiana plays with, the Bucks are certainly on upset watch with their star hindered at the very least. The Pacers were able to control the regular season series winning four of five games, even with Giannis in the lineup.

One of the main reasons that they lost these games was that Milwaukee's poor defense couldn't handle the amount of offensive firepower that the Pacers brought. With Antetokoumpo out of the lineup, the Bucks will likely have even more trouble defending this young Pacers squad.

The Pacers have a solid chance of winning this series even with the All-NBA veteran in the lineup. Every game that the star misses most likely swings the series in the Pacers favor.