Photo Credit: Allen Halas
Milwaukee Bucks 2022
The Milwaukee Bucks are the last remaining unbeaten team in the NBA, and while it is very early in the year, the signs of a potential championship contender are already starting to show. Milwaukee got off to a hot start, but the real evidence of their potential is the quality of teams that they’ve beaten so far. Last Wednesday, a second-half comeback against the Brooklyn Nets showed what this year’s team is made of, anchored by a commanding performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek Freak had 34 of his 43 points in the second half, taking advantage of a Brooklyn team that was falling apart seemingly by the minute. He would lead another second half surge on Saturday night to put away Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks in a thrilling finish at Fiserv Forum.
Giannis’ 40-plus point performance against Brooklyn would be notable, but it was the second game in a row where he scored over that mark for Milwaukee. He finished with only 30 points on Friday vs. the New York Knicks, and just 34 against Atlanta on Saturday. While those are amazing numbers for anyone else in the league, they’re a normal night for Giannis, a testament to his status as arguably the best player in the world right now. Clearly, an offseason that included playing for the Greece national team has kept Antetokounmpo in mid-season form, giving him a leg up on his peers in the NBA’s upper echelon of talent.
Of course, there is more to the Bucks than their star power forward. Jrue Holiday and Bobby Portis continue to step up in supporting roles, and center Brook Lopez as well as guard Grayson Allen are averaging double-digit points per game early in the year. Lopez had an incredible hot streak on Saturday, before finishing with 21 points, and Holiday matched Antetokounmpo’s game-high 34. Keep in mind that the Bucks are still without outside shooter Pat Connaughton, as well as an all-star in Khris Middleton, who will both slowly rejoin the squad soon. The Bucks certainly look like the 2021 championship team in the early going, and will hopefully continue to roll this week. Here are the team’s next obstacles:
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Monday, October 31 & Wednesday, November 2 vs. Detroit (both games 7 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)
It’s been a rough going for the Detroit Pistons, who will come to Fiserv Forum for a pair of games on Monday and Wednesday. While they started the year off with a win over the Orlando Magic, the team followed that by losing five straight, including a pair of games to the Atlanta Hawks. The final scores do not tell the full story, as Detroit has a promising point guard in Cade Cunningham, and a solid forward in Bojan Bogdanovic leading the offense so far. The Pistons ultimately haven’t been able to get their pieces together, however, so the potential for an easy start to the week exists.
Friday, November 4 at Minnesota (9 p.m., ESPN)
After the pair of games with Detroit, the Bucks will travel for the first time since the season opener to play the Minnesota Timberwolves for the first of a two-game series this year. Led by Karl Anthony-Towns, Minnesota has faired well to begin their season, with a pair of wins against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and an early confidence booster in beating LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. Minnesota made a number of moves in the offseason to boost their team, the biggest being the acquisition of center Rudy Gobert in a major trade with the Utah Jazz. There is lots of promise for the Timberwolves with guards Austin Rivers and former Bucks player Bryn Forbes as well, but the team is still in the early stages of meshing as a unit. Expect a tighter game here, but Milwaukee should hopefully push forward with their winning ways.
Saturday, November 5 vs. Oklahoma City (7 p.m., Bally Sports Wisconsin)
The Oklahoma City Thunder will come to town to close out the week, making for the second half of back-to-back games for the Bucks. It took three games for Oklahoma City to win their first contest of the year, but a pair of wins over the Los Angeles Clippers have gotten the momentum swinging back in the Thunder’s favor. Oklahoma City will likely be without a solid contributor in guard Josh Giddey, who injured himself in Friday night’s win against the Clippers. They will, however, have an underrated player in point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has impressed early this season with an average of just under 30 points per game. The offensive fireworks will be the story in Saturday’s contest, provided that the Thunder can utilize more than just their main weapons to attack the basket.
