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The outlook for the Milwaukee Bucks in terms of their roster against the Washington Wizards Friday took a big turn just hours ahead of the game. While star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo entered the day with a questionable tag due to a hip injury, his status was downgraded, leaving his availability in doubt.
According to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, Antetokounmpo is now listed as doubtful. He’s not the only Bucks player whose name is on the injury report and in danger of missing this game either. Along with the All-Star candidate, point guard Eric Bledsoe (hamstring), forward D.J. Wilson (hip) and guard Donte DiVincenzo’s (ankle) statuses are all up in the air, per Zach Rosen of the Wizards.
With the potential for a very shorthanded Bucks team to take the floor Friday, we’re going to evaluate their roster and starting lineup, as well as who’ll get the bump in workload.
Bucks Roster & Starting Lineup vs. Wizards
*Notates expected starter, and is under the assumption Antetokounmpo does not play.
C: Brook Lopez*, Thon Maker, Jason Smith
PF: Ersan Ilyasova*, D.J. Wilson (questionable)
SF: Khris Middleton*, Tony Snell
SG: Malcolm Brogdon*, Pat Connaughton, Sterling Brown
PG: Eric Bledsoe* (questionable), George Hill
I left DiVincenzo off the roster as well since he’s doubtful currently. It’s unknown what the status of Bledsoe will be as the day goes on, but regardless, the Bucks are going to be shorthanded Friday. If the point guard is out, it’ll mean a lot of Malcolm Brogdon and George Hill running the show.
Beyond that, if Giannis is ruled out, each player across the board sees a boost. But specifically, Khris Middleton’s usage skyrockets from 23.9 to 33.1 while Bledsoe jumps to 26.7 from 21.8, per Basketball Monster. Brogdon also sees a big increase in his role while Ilyasova picks a decent amount more on the offensive end.
Essentially, the entire Bucks roster sees a huge workload increase which isn’t all that surprising. Although Antetokounmpo has no issue dishing off to teammates, the simple fact that a player of his caliber is sidelined means a variety of players are forced to step up.
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Injury Outlook
The good news is that ‘The Greek Freak’ doesn’t seem to be in danger of missing any serious time. While he was placed on the injury report and originally listed as probable, that shifted on Friday morning. There’s a chance the Bucks are just being careful with their star forward, and the injury was first called a left hip contusion.
On the season, Antetokounmp has averaged 26.6 points, 12.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game while becoming a top candidate for the Most Valuable Player Award. In the team’s most recent game against the Houston Rockets, Giannis racked up 27 points with 21 rebounds and five assists in a 116-109 win.
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