After losing Malcolm Brogdon to the Indiana Pacers in free agency this past summer, the Milwaukee Bucks have little margin for error at both guard positions this season, and their depth took a big hit on Friday. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Eric Bledsoe will miss the next two to three weeks with a small fracture of his rib.
Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe has suffered a small fracture of his rib and will miss up to two-to-three weeks, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 11, 2019
Matt Velazquez of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel added some context via Bucks GM Jon Horst, saying that Bledsoe fractured the cartilage between his ribs.
Per Bucks GM Jon Horst, Eric Bledsoe did not fracture his ribs. What happened was he fractured the cartilage between 2 of his ribs. No bones are broken. The issue is pain tolerance, which means he can come back as soon as his pain goes down. May not necessarily be out 2-3 weeks.
— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) October 11, 2019
Bledsoe has fractured cartilage in his 9th & 10th rib. It's a case of pain tolerance; there isn't risk of reinjury or further complications. Timetable could still be 2-3 weeks, but he can play when discomfort goes down to minimal. Timing will become clearer in the next few days.
— Matt Velazquez (@Matt_Velazquez) October 11, 2019
Bledsoe has started every game he’s been available for the Bucks since he sent his infamous “I Don’t wanna be here” tweet two years ago as a member of the Phoenix Suns. During that time, he’s averaged 16.8 points, 5.5 assists, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game in 30.3 minutes while remaining stout on defense. His impressive two-way play earned him a four-year, $70 million extension with the Bucks in March.
With Bledsoe sidelined and his availability for the team’s opener on Oct. 24 unclear, George Hill will likely move into the starting lineup. Hill’s production has slipped in recent year, particularly from behind the three-point line, but he showed signs of life in the postseason, averaging 11.5 points per game on 53.4 percent shooting from the field, including 41.7 percent from three-point range through 15 games. Hill will need to carry that efficient shooting into the regular season if he wants to fit alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and the starters.
Beyond Hill, it’s unclear what the plan is at point guard, but they have some flexibility because Antetokounmpo is the primary ball-handler, anyway.
