Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brooklyn Nets Preview: A Close Look at the New-Look Super Team

Another week of Milwaukee Bucks basketball gets underway as the Bucks get a marquee matchup on Martin Luther King Day against the Brooklyn Nets. This game was already going to catch a few eyes when the Nets had Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant to highlight, but with their blockbuster trade for James Harden, it will give Milwaukee a good test at how they stack compared to another Eastern Conference contending rival.

Where We’re At

The Bucks are coming off a perfect week with wins against the Magic, Pistons, and Mavericks respectively. The Bucks have had different contributors to each victory, with the bench shining against Orlando to Jrue Holiday against Detroit and Giannis/Khris helping the cause against Dallas. Milwaukee currently is on a four-game winning streak but will be facing its toughest test against a Brooklyn team who have added James Harden in a four team trade. There will be an adjustment period for them, but Harden’s triple double debut was encouraging for a team with a lot of volatility. They won that game 122-115 against the Orlando Magic.

For Milwaukee, it looks as though they will have no injury concerns with the recent return of Torrey Craig. Brooklyn will be without Spencer Dinwiddie (partially torn ACL), Nic Claxton (knee tendinopathy) and Kyrie Irving has been moved to questionable due to health and safety protocols after he left the Nets earlier this month for personal reasons.

Player to Watch

It will have to be our old enemy James Harden. Harden has not been the shining light of good PR or a stand-up teammate since he demanded a trade a few months ago. From being at strip clubs and not at practice to constantly looking out of shape, it’s been a rough few months of optics for the former MVP. Harden got what he wanted in his trade to Brooklyn and it will be time for him to prove it. Jrue Holiday will likely be the one to guard him and it will be similar to see how he approaches it compared to how Eric Bledsoe slowed him down in the past.

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