Mere hours after it was reported that he and his agent were meeting with the Bucks to discuss his future with the franchise, which head coach Doc Rivers denied, Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a non-contact lower-body injury during the first quarter of Wednesday’s win over the Pistons. He would exit immediately, and given injuries to the likes of Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, one would not be blamed for fearing the worst.
The Bucks’ official announcement on Wednesday was that Giannis suffered a strained right calf, and Rivers said after the game that an Achilles tendon injury had been ruled out after a preliminary MRI. On Thursday, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the calf strain was expected to sideline the star forward for approximately two to four weeks. While the trade rumor mill will continue to churn, fantasy managers need to figure out how they’re going to compensate for Antetokounmpo’s absence.
Who will replace Antetokounmpo in the starting lineup?
This is an interesting question. Based on production, one would assume that Kyle Kuzma (21 percent) is first in line to fill the void, with Bobby Portis (27 percent) being another possibility. However, it was Jericho Sims (one percent) who started the second half of Wednesday’s game, and he had his best game of the season.
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In 30 minutes, Sims did not miss a shot, scoring 15 points (7-of-7 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs) to go along with 14 rebounds and one assist. The double-double was his first since the 2022-23 season as a member of the New York Knicks, so the question will be whether he can sustain that production if allowed to start. Kuzma and Portis are safer streaming options with Giannis unavailable, but deep-league managers should not overlook Sims.
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Williamson may not be back until Christmas, which is optimistic, while Curry is out at least three more games.
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Who else is impacted by Antetokounmpo’s absence?
He’s the unquestioned focal point of the Bucks’ offense, and Giannis’ athleticism is impactful defensively as well. His absence will impact everyone in the rotation. Kevin Porter Jr. (47 percent) and Ryan Rollins (57 percent) will have added fantasy value out of necessity due to their ability to create offense for themselves and their teammates. While these two are off the board in deeper leagues, managers in 12-team formats will want to make sure Porter and Rollins aren’t sitting on their league’s waiver wire.
Another player to watch is Myles Turner (97 percent), especially if Rivers decides to move Sims into the starting lineup rather than a forward. While he hasn’t been an elite rebounder, Turner would likely lose out on boards if Sims starts; he grabbed three in 20 minutes against the Pistons on Wednesday (foul trouble was also a factor). According to the NBA’s data, the Turner/Sims partnership has produced a net rating of minus-17.0 in 42 minutes played over nine games.
While the defensive rebounding was good, with the Bucks grabbing 82.2 percent of opponents’ missed shots, the offensive rating (97.8) was poor. While we may see them paired up for longer stretches with Giannis out, it may not be the default lineup used.
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Further down the list, AJ Green (16 percent) and Gary Trent Jr. (five percent) will have opportunities to contribute more, with the former already in the starting lineup. How will Antetokounmpo’s absence impact the quality of Green’s shots? And can he do enough to create a few more looks on his own? He has provided solid late-round value this season, but a boost to Green’s offensive production is obviously not guaranteed.
