Things aren’t going great for the Milwaukee Bucks right now. They’ve lost seven of their last ten games and have dropped to 11th in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 12-19.
However, help is on the way. After missing eight consecutive games for Milwaukee with a right calf strain, star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to return to game action against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo expected to return against Bulls on Saturday night
Antetokounmpo still needs to pass tests from the team’s medical staff prior to the game against Chicago, but if he clears those he’ll be good to go.
The two-time MVP’s return is obviously good news for a Bucks team still hoping to make a playoff push. In 17 games this season, Antetokounmpo is again putting up MVP numbers and averaging 28.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists per performance.
Milwaukee has gone 9-8 in games that Antetokounmpo has played in and just 3-11 when he's sidelined, so his presence on the court obviously makes an enormous difference for the team.
Of course, Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee has generated more headlines than his on-court performance this season. The star forward has been mentioned in a copious amount of trade rumors, though he has insisted that he remains focused on the Bucks and the current campaign.
"If my agent is talking to the Bucks about it, he's his own person. He can have any conversation he wants," Antetokounmpo said earlier this month. "At the end of the day, I personally have not had the conversation with the Bucks. I'm still locked in, locked in on my teammates, most importantly locked in on me getting back healthy."
The NBA trade deadline is set for Feb. 5 this season. It will be very interesting to see if Antetokounmpo is still a member of the Bucks beyond that date. For now though, the team will simply be happy to have him back on the court.