If you’re one of those people who just doesn’t care about the preseason, I totally get it and you can just stop reading this now. If you’re too excited about this Bucks team to mind that it’s just preseason, read on.
Three Big Things
Hot Start, Slow Finish – Just as was the case last time out against the Bulls, the Bucks started off hot but then fizzled out before losing another preseason game. It was 48-40 at halftime before the Pistons had a great 3rd quarter to go up 76-65. Detroit had an even easier time in the 4th quarter, as is evident from the final score. Considering it’s not the regular season and Jason Kidd’s just trying to get guys minutes, this isn’t too concerning.
Tobias Harris and Jon Leuer – The former Bucks continue to make me upset that Milwaukee ever got rid of them, as Harris racked up 16 points and 7 rebounds while seeming to make a play every time I looked up. Leuer, on the other hand, didn’t stuff the stat sheet quite so much, but played an excellent game as he was second on his team in plus/minus with +18.
Giannis Antetokounmpo – Giannis had a great all-around game as we’ve come to expect from him, racking up 21 points, 4 assists and 6 rebounds. On the other hand, he also had 5 of Milwaukee’s 13 turnovers, which is just too many. That said, I would only worry about this if it happens in regular season action.
Plus/Minus Hero
Greg Monroe – Monroe led the team with a -2 plus/minus in the blowout as he racked up 12 points and 8 rebounds. 4 of these rebounds were defensive and 4 were offensive, and Monroe only recorded 1 foul in 23 minutes on the court. He only made 32% of his 19 shots, though, which is not ideal for a big man.
Once again, the Bucks showed some positives despite losing big, and preseason results should always be taken with a grain of salt. That said, make sure to catch the next preseason game (the last one) against the Pacers on Wednesday at 7:00 PM. Go Bucks!