Absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo felt in Bucks slip in prestige

The Milwaukee Bucks season will be defined by how they perform with Giannis Antetokounmpo out with the calf strain.

While they have pulled out wins against quality opponents like the Detroit Pistons, they have also been blown out by non-quality opponents like the Brooklyn Nets. Their back-and-forth affairs have kept the Bucks at No. 21 in NBA.com writer John Schuhmann's power rankings.

"Giannis Antetokounmpo remains on the shelf, but the Bucks had one of the most surprising wins of Week 8, ending the Celtics’ five-game winning streak on Thursday. Three nights later, they lost by 45 points in Brooklyn," Schuhmann wrote.

"The Bucks have lost their seven road games and, after hosting the Raptors on Thursday, they’ll play 11 of their next 14 games on the road."

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo drives to the basket in the first half against the Detroit Pistons | Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Giannis-less Bucks struggling to win

The teams ranked below the Bucks in the power rankings are the Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz, Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings.

The Bucks' most recent loss against the Nets is definitely the most concerning one of the season. Any loss to the Nets would have been cause for concern, but the fact that they lost by 45 points and scored just 82 points in the game means things need to change all across the board.

Having Giannis back and out of trade rumors would certainly help, but that is beyond the Bucks' control at this point. They have to play with the players they have healthy and available and that should be something they look forward to on a nightly basis.

The Bucks don't have the confidence in themselves at the moment, but they need to drum that up themselves in order to get out of this tough stretch. The worst part about it is they'll have to do it mostly on the road.

While the Bucks face a long stretch of road games, their next contest comes at home against the Toronto Raptors. Tip-off is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. CT inside the Fiserv Forum. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on NBA Week Pass.

Giannis-less Bucks struggling to win

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