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The Milwaukee Bucks are already in the throes of a mini-crisis, having lost numerous players to injury in recent days. They now face their opening few games of the NBA season with a depleted roster.
With such a plethora of offensive talent missing from the Bucks rotation, it's fair to assume that the team will struggle if Giannis Antetokounmpo is benched or has a poor shooting night. Factor in the absences of Jrue Holiday and Donte DiVincenzo, and the perimeter defense will undoubtedly drop off too.
Mere days after enjoying their ring ceremony, which is a tradition for NBA champions, the Milwaukee Bucks already find themselves fighting off the back foot. They will be hoping that their injury issues quickly dissipate.
Here are three reasons why the Milwaukee Bucks need to worry about their growing injury list.
#1 The Milwaukee Bucks will need to place a higher workload on Giannis Antetokounmpo
A key component to sustaining an injury is going from minimal activity to large quantities of high-level competition in quick succession.
NBA teams try to mitigate this risk by ensuring players get ample rest time on the bench and lighter workloads during off days at the start of the season. They then ramp up the minutes and usage rate as the games go by.
Mike Budenholzer doesn't have that luxury. With six players already on the injury list (two of whom are vital starters), the Milwaukee Bucks will need to rely on their remaining stars to steer the ship. That means an increased workload for both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.
The Bucks will also have to rely on deep rotation players to provide impact on both ends of the floor.
#2 Keeping pace with the chasing pack
When you're a champion, there's always a pack of rabid wolves waiting to steal your crown. The NBA is no different, and right now, the Milwaukee Bucks are a prime cut of meat that is enticing to no less than five teams in the Eastern Conference.
With games against the San Antonio Spurs (twice), Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves before the end of the month, the Bucks will need to navigate problematic matchups on a wafer-thin rotation.
All of the upcoming games are winnable, and the team should be grateful that they're not contending with any upcoming back-to-backs. Still, they will need to be vigilant of their players' physical condition while hoping nobody succumbs to the league's health and safety protocols.
Currently, the other contention hopefuls all seem to have healthy rosters or are only missing a player or two. The Milwaukee Bucks will need to keep a close eye on their rivals' success as they navigate this tough early-season stretch.
Luckily, this tough injury stretch has come at the beginning of the season. The Milwaukee Bucks can easily make up any lost ground as long as their roster remains relatively healthy moving forward.
#3 Shaking the rust off
Even if the roster is back to full strength, there's still going to be a re-acclimation period, where those who have missed playing time are getting back up to speed.
Being cleared to play and being at game speed are two totally different things. Depending on the type of injury and the amount of time each individual misses, the Milwaukee Bucks could be dealing with multiple players operating on minute restrictions for a stretch of games.
Even if the players are cleared for full game action from the get-go, it will take time for them to rediscover their fitness and get their game legs underneath them. During this acclimation process, we could see some ugly shooting nights and poor defensive performances from Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis and the rest of the Milwaukee Bucks' injured stars.
Of course, this isn't an exact science. There's every chance that some of the players who are currently on the injury report will come back ready to contribute from day one. However, banking on that likelihood would be a risky venture.
Guess the Lakers players!
