Bucks coach pushes back reports that Giannis is being sidelined deliberately
Coach Doc Rivers insisted that Giannis Antetokounmpo is still not healthy despite the National Basketball Players Association suggesting otherwise, stressing that the Milwaukee Bucks are solely focused on the star's recovery.
The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) released a statement earlier this week suggesting that Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy enough to return to action for the Milwaukee Bucks.
However, head coach Doc Rivers pushed back strongly on that notion.
Speaking to reporters, Rivers made it clear that Antetokounmpo is still dealing with the left knee hyperextension and bone bruise that have sidelined him since March 15.
According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, the coach emphasised that the star forward is making progress but is far from fully recovered.
"He's not [healthy]," Rivers stated. "He's progressing. He's just not healthy. Our focus right now is just getting him healthy. We're just trying to get Giannis cleared and healthy; that's our only focus. All the other stuff, we stay above."
Reports surfaced indicating that Giannis and the Bucks organisation have differing views on how to handle the remainder of the season.
While the team appears willing to take a cautious approach – potentially even shutting him down – the situation has sparked some tension.
"We didn't have a meeting about this [statement from the NBPA]," Rivers explained. "We didn't have one discussion. [GM] Jon Horst didn't call me to talk about this, just to show you the concern we have."
The 10-time All-Star has been on a minutes limit this season while working through injuries to his calf, groin, ankle, and knee.
Giannis has appeared in 36 games, averaging 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in 28.9 minutes per game.
Full NBPA statement: "The Player Participation Policy was designed by the league to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court.
"Unfortunately, anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement; fans, broadcast partners, and the integrity of the game itself will continue to suffer as long as ownership goes unchecked.
"We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking."
