The moment Giannis Antetokounmpo started struggling to get back up, everyone in Rocket Arena knew something was wrong. The matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Cleveland Cavaliers was turned upside down as the superstar forward quickly fouled Cleveland player Evan Mobley, exiting the game immediately. The stakes are obvious: the Bucks aren’t built to cruise without him.

Today, the picture became clear on his injury. NBA insider Shams Charania announced that Antetokounmpo had suffered a “low-grade left groin strain and will miss 1 to 2 weeks.” This is one of the best results for Giannis, especially considering the injury appeared quite severe in real-time.

Before the injury, Giannis was looking like a premier contender for the MVP award, logging 31.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, and a career-high 6.8 assists in head coach Doc Rivers’ new system, where he operates as a point forward. After he left the Cavaliers game, the Bucks’ offense collapsed, dropping to 38.6% in the second half without Giannis. They also failed to close the game without Giannis’s rim pressure, which is the key to the whole offense. In fact, the team’s offense is 21 points per 100 possessions better with him on the court.

Rivers didn’t sugarcoat the situation in the immediate aftermath of the injury: “We won’t know anything until tomorrow. Didn’t look great, I can tell you that… He grabbed (his groin), I want to say in the first quarter, and I asked him then. He said it was fine. Then I think he grabbed it again, and he said it was fine. And then the third time, you know, is when it happened. But I think it happened earlier, in my opinion.” This didn’t come from a single collision, but after repeated wear on Giannis.

Now, the Bucks enter a stretch without their offensive engine. If Giannis returns in just one week, he could be back as soon as next Wednesday against the Miami Heat or the NBA Cup matchup against the New York Knicks on Friday. However, if the Bucks opt to be more cautious, a two-week absence would mean he returns against the Detroit Pistons on December 3rd or the Philadelphia 76ers on December 5th, resulting in 7-8 missed games. Milwaukee will need its role players to step up if the team hopes to survive this period.

Who Replaces Giannis Antetokounmpo? The Candidates and the Consequences

With Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined for up to two weeks, the team will likely push long-time bench piece Bobby Portis to the starting lineup alongside the other core starters: Myles Turner, Kyle Kuzma, AJ Green, and Ryan Rollins. Portis is the most seamless replacement the Bucks have on the roster, especially with his size, rebounding, and ability to attack the rim, and he’s one of the few players who has experience filling in for Giannis when he misses time. The Bucks can maintain some stability this way: Turner remains the primary defensive anchor and a perimeter shooter, Kuzma can operate as a secondary facilitator, and Portis adds interior toughness without Giannis present.

Doc Rivers also has flexibility given the matchup. He could lean into a more shooting-heavy lineup with Gary Trent Jr., shifting Kuzma to the four for a more mobile unit. This lineup would sacrifice frontcourt rebounding but highlights a need to play fast without Giannis’ half-court dominance. Jericho Sims offers another solution, plugging in as a second big next to Myles Turner when the Bucks need more rim protection, but his offensive limitations can hurt the spacing.

Regardless of who takes Giannis’ place, the pressure now lies on the Bucks‘ other four starters. Turner will have to step up on offense, given that he was the team’s primary offseason acquisition, Kuzma will have to become more consistent on the offensive end, Rollins will have to take on primary playmaking and creation duties, and AJ Green, one of the best pure three-point shooters in the league, will have to keep the floor spaced so the half-court doesn’t grind to a halt. Without the NBA’s only 30-10 producer this season, the upcoming stretch is a collective survival effort.