Giannis Antetokounmpo Out for Bucks vs. Cavaliers Because of Back Injury
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer confirmed superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss Saturday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Bucks listed back spasms as the source of Antetokounmpo's absence.
"He's very sore, very stiff," Budenholzer told reporters. "We are hopeful it's a short-term thing."
Antetokounmpo is assembling a strong foundation for a Hall of Fame resume. He's won two straight MVP Awards in addition to the 2020 NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award and earned four consecutive All-Star selections, along with numerous other individual accolades.
The 26-year-old Greece native has mostly been durable during his rise to stardom. He's never missed more than 10 games in a regular season since the Bucks selected him 15th overall in 2013, with any missed time caused by minor ailments.
That said, his most recent setback was an ankle injury suffered during the 2020 playoffs that played a role in Milwaukee's elimination at the hands of the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
The Bucks are likely to use a committee to fill the void any time the Greek Freak misses time throughout the 2020-21 campaign.
Milwaukee doesn't feature enough star power outside Antetokounmpo to become a serious title contender without him. Making sure he's healthy for the postseason is the most important factor, even if that means a lesser workload in the regular season and fewer wins.
