Giannis Not Having a Major Injury Is a Franchise Saver
When Giannis Antetokounmpo hit the deck on Tuesday night, we all felt our hearts drop out of our chests. I can speak for all of you on that one because that’s how we all felt. That’s a sports fan right there. It was the worst sports injury of recent memory. Nothing comes close. It would be like Aaron Rodgers breaking his collarbone in the divisional or championship round. Or Christian Yelich hurting his knee in the outfield in the same playoff rounds. But weirdly, it felt bigger than that. Thankfully, Giannis did not have any structural damage. It is unknown if he will play the rest of the playoffs, but regardless, he is okay for next season and that matters a ton.
There is no structural damage to Giannis Antetokounmpo's left knee after his awkward landing last night in Atlanta; ligaments are sound, sources tell @wojespn and I. Timetable to return is unclear.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) June 30, 2021
Some might say ‘Why care about next season, we have a Finals to win!’ Look, I get it. But with the season being pushed back, Giannis is looking at an injury that would likely keep him out for the whole season. He would have ended up being Michael Jordan coming back from baseball and trying to go on a run late. If this were in a normal year, the regular season the following year might not have mattered as much. But the fact none of us have to even worry about next season is fucking incredible. We should all be thankful, and Giannis may be Superman.
Now for the whispers if Giannis can play in Game 6. I’m ruling out Game 5. I know he’s doubtful, but it’s highly unlikely we see him on the court playing tonight. Game 6 is interesting. My fiancee, who isn’t a huge hoops fan, asked that question to me as well. It seems like many think maybe Game 6 is on the table. We’ll just wait and see. Giannis is going to be chomping at the bit to be out there. And if he can play at 75 percent and not be passive then go for it. But if there are still issues there, keep him on ice. This team can win this without him for two games.
Charlie.