Giannis Antetokounmpo Injury Means Milwaukee Bucks Will Keep Falling

The team will be without the Greek Freak for a bit.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo drives for the basket against Denver Nuggets forward Spencer Jones. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks are trying to pick up the pieces after Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered another injury that could affect whether or not the team returns to the postseason.

The Bucks are currently on the outside looking in, but Antetokounmpo's injury makes the outlook even more bleak. It's why NBA.com writer John Schuhmann placed the Bucks two spots lower in his weekly power rankings. The Bucks now sit at No. 24 after being No. 22 last week.

"The Bucks got an important win over the 10th-place Hawks last Monday, but they’ve since lost two straight games, and Giannis Antetokounmpo will be out for an extended period after suffering another calf strain on Friday," Schuhmann wrote.

"The Bucks will have a rest advantage when they begin a three-game trip in Philadelphia on Tuesday. One of their three wins without Antetokounmpo came against the Celtics, who they’ll visit on Sunday afternoon."

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo walks from the court following the game against the Denver Nuggets. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Bucks Take Drop in Power Rankings

The teams that rank behind the Bucks and Power Rangers are the Utah Jazz, New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards. The Bucks are in a tough spot with Antetokounmpo out and the numbers don't suggest things will get better anytime soon.

"Offense continues to be a struggle. The Bucks have lost five of their last six games, and they’ve scored fewer than 110 points per 100 possessions in all six. Even with Antetokounmpo on the floor, the offense hasn’t been very good (106.7 points scored per 100) over that stretch," Schuhmann wrote.

"Other starters have been in and out of the lineup and Ryan Rollins has gone cold, registering an effective field goal percentage of just 37.9% over his last seven games. (He did hit a couple of late 3-pointers to make things interesting against the very shorthanded Nuggets on Friday.)

"It doesn’t help the offense that the Bucks haven’t been forcing many turnovers, with their opponents having committed just 26 over their last three games. They’ve actually seen the league’s fifth-biggest jump in opponent turnover rate from last season, but that’s just taken them from 26th to 22nd, and they’ve suffered big drop-offs when it comes to opponent shooting, opponent free throw rate and opponent offensive rebounding."

The Bucks are back in action tomorrow as they take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT inside Xfinity Mobile Arena. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.