Bucks Players to Step Up During Giannis' Calf Injury

The Milwaukee Bucks are going to need to figure out how to play without Giannis Antetokounmpo in the lineup. This isn’t just because Giannis went down with a calf strain in the Bucks' last game, but also because there are rumblings that a Giannis trade request has either already happened or is in the works. Whether Giannis misses a significant stretch with his calf injury or the Bucks and Giannis can agree on a trade, the Bucks need to figure out how to play without their superstar. Here are two players to watch while Giannis is out. 

If KPJ were healthy all season for the Bucks, things might be different. In just four games this season, KPJ is averaging a career high in points at 19.8 per game, and is also shooting the best of his career at 56.3 percent from the field and 59.1 percent from three. Of course, this is a small sample size, but especially since he has returned from injury, KPJ looks ready to take on a big offensive load this season.

That is what he is going to have to do with Giannis out. There aren’t a ton of other players on the Bucks’ roster that can create their own offense. For the Bucks to survive without Giannis, KPJ is going to have to take the lead as a ball handler and scorer.

Ryan Rollins has been a revelation this season. Last year, he averaged under 15 minutes per game while scoring 6.2 points and 1.9 assists/rebounds per game. This year, he is blowing those numbers out of the water. He is averaging 17.9 points, 5.9 assists, and 4 rebounds per game, all while shooting nearly 40 percent from deep. Ryan Rollins is going to need to continue to contribute in a big way with Giannis potentially out for the next few games.