With the expectation that the Milwaukee Bucks could be without Malcolm Brogdon for the next 6-8 weeks, they could have a problem upon their hands
The Milwaukee Bucks have the NBA’s best record and the best Net Rating of any team in the league, including the Golden State Warriors. For a myriad of reasons, which includes the exceptional play and continued development of Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks are a legit title contender this season and seemed like the favorite to come out of the Eastern Conference.
That was until Saturday night, when it was announced the Malcolm Brogdon suffered a minor plantar fascia tear in his right foot. That injury comes with an expected 6-to-8 week recovery time frame.
In losing Brogdon, for possibly two months, the Bucks now lose a important piece of their team not only for the remainder of the regular season but also the first round of the NBA playoffs. It should be noted that should the injury take closer to the eight weeks time frame then Brogdon would likely miss all of the second round as well.
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For a Milwaukee, team that has NBA Finals dreams, it’s going to be tough to not only hold the Toronto Raptors who are only three games behind Milwaukee but also a potential second round series vs Boston, Philadelphia or Indiana would be a much tougher obstacle without Brogdon being available.
Replacing Brogdon will be tough as the Bucks have options such as Tony Snell, Nikola Mirotic or Pat Connaughton but none of those players can come close to replicating what Brogdon has done this season.
Brogdon has averaged 15.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 50 percent from the field. Brogdon will become the eighth player this season to have a 50-40-90 season in NBA history.
Brogdon ranks second on the team in field goal percentage, first in 3-point percentage, first in free throw percentage. He is fourth on the team in scoring, seventh in rebounding and fourth in assists per game (stats based on players with significant playing time).
Milwaukee should be fine getting past their first round opponent without Brogdon but if he doesn’t return in the second round and the Bucks opponent is a team like the Boston Celtics then the special season the Bucks have had might not have a good ending.
Early indications are that the Bucks expect his return to be closer to 6-8 weeks, but until his return is official the Bucks will need to figure out a way to replace one of their most important pieces.