After a winless preseason, Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is keeping things in perspective.
“All that matters is what you can carry over from the preseason to the regular season,” Antetokounmpo tweeted soon after the Bucks dropped their fifth straight preseason match, and hours before they were to visit the Philadelphia 76ers in their regular season opener.
The two-time league MVP’s tunnel vision remains even though team officials recently revealed they will be without key role players Khris Middleton and Pat Connaughton to start the season.
According to SI.com, Connaughton is slated to be sidelined for at least the first three weeks of the season with a right calf strain. The 29-year-old sharpshooter, who averaged 10 points a game last season in a campaign that included 19 starts, shot 39.5% from three-point range on 5.7 attempts per game. He underwent an MRI after experiencing soreness.
A three-time All-Star, Middleton is still recovering from offseason wrist surgery and is expected to miss the first few weeks of the season. After undergoing surgery in July to repair an injured ligament, Middleton had hoped to be able to return to action during the preseason.
The Bucks finished last season 51-31, earning the No. 3 seed and advancing to the second round of the playoffs before being ousted by the Boston Celtics in a Game 7 thriller.
After opening against the 76ers, the Bucks finish the month of October with battles against the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons.
