NBA Finals: Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury is a dark cloud hovering over
The injury to Giannis Antetkounmpo has brought a dark cloud ahead of the start of the NBA Finals.
While there is some excitement over the unlikely NBA Finals matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, there is one dark cloud that is hovering over ahead of the start of the series. And that’s the health of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Giannis missed the last two games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks with a knee injury and there’s no guarantee that he’s going to be back for the NBA Finals. Though, there is hope that he could return for Game 1.
And if Giannis isn’t healthy enough to return for the start of the Finals, there’s no question that it will bring a huge bummer to the series overall. And would absolutely put the Bucks at a huge disadvantage in the series.
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Despite his shortcomings every now and again in late-game situations, Giannis has been the consistent leader for the Bucks. During this year’s postseason run, Giannis is averaging 28 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists per game on 55 percent shooting from the field.
Giannis has had his rough spots in his game – whether that be his free-throw shooting, his inconsistent 3-point shooting, or his lack of ability to create his own shot in late-game situations – but there’s not another player on the Bucks team that can replicate those same numbers.
The NBA needs a healthy Giannis
If Giannis is not healthy, the Bucks are clearly a worse and different team. Are they still a team that could compete with the Suns? Absolutely, but it wouldn’t be fair for that to be the expectation.
Even though the Bucks managed to finish off the Hawks in the conference finals without Giannis, a big reason why they were able to do so was at least in part due to the injury to Trae Young. If the Hawks were completely healthy, there’s no guarantee the Bucks manage to win Games 5 and 6, respectively, and there’s at least an outside chance that the Hawks are in the NBA Finals and not the Bucks.
Nevertheless, not even just for the Bucks’ chances, the league as a whole needs Giannis to be healthy in the NBA Finals. It would be a shame that the Bucks finally broke through in the East and they aren’t given a fair chance at winning it all because of an injury.
And it would be a shame if Giannis can’t play in the NBA Finals after years and years of falling just short.
I don’t agree with those that will brush off this series because it’s Milwaukee and Phoenix. I think we’ve gotten to a place in the league’s development that we can look beyond the caveman thinking of a big city matchup is what the NBA needs.
Next. NBA Finals: An unlikely matchup will give birth to new stars. dark
Does it help? Absolutely. Do you know what also helps, however? Star power. And that’s what Giannis, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul bring. But that’s why the NBA, more than anything, needs this dark cloud of an injury to Giannis to go away.