Bucks vs. Thunder Preview: Plodding Through The Preseason

More exhibition basketball awaits us this evening, as the Milwaukee Bucks welcome the Oklahoma City Thunder to town. The Bucks have been taking preseason about as seriously as it deserves; a contingent of the team made their way to Khris Middleton’s alma mater yesterday for some NCAA action.

Where We’re At

Milwaukee has been playing at far below full strength lately, giving most of their top contributors plenty of lead time to get into the routine of playing NBA basketball. Today, though, we might see the returns of the Bucks’ top trio, while Donte DiVincenzo, Semi Ojeleye, Bobby Portis, and Rodney Hood remain out.

In summary, expect lots more Jordan Nwora, Giorgios Kalaitzakis, and Sandro Mamukelashvili, which is precisely what we want to see at this stage. It is somewhat concerning for those who believe that in-game reps are the best way to build cohesion, but the Bucks have proven themselves to be tight-knit. For Oklahoma City, they also continue to develop their youth as they rebuild, and two of those pieces happen to be former Bucks DJ Wilson and Mamadi Diakite. Their expectations are what they should be, as the Thunder aren’t competitive right now.

Player To Watch

Anytime the Thunder are involved, my eye is drawn to Aleksej Pokusevski, the skinny forward who has a tantalizing skillset…if he can put it together. Since it’s all exhibition anyway, let’s hope he puts on a show!