Fresh off a 27-point defeat to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Portland Trail Blazers continue their road trip tonight against the Giannis-less Milwaukee Bucks.
The Milwaukee Bucks currently sit at 11th in the Eastern Conference, with a record of 8-9. MVP-level performances from Giannis Antetokounmpo have kept the Bucks afloat in the early season.
The Bucks have surrounded Giannis with a cast of guys that radiate a please-don’t-go-to-New-York type of vibe, underscoring how few options Jon Horst has left to improve their squad. In a move that shocked the league, the Bucks waived-and-stretched an injured Damian Lillard’s remaining $113 million. This move granted them the necessary cap room to sign center Myles Turner for four years and $108.9 million.
Unfortunately, Giannis suffered a low-grade groin strain during a November 20th loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers and will be sidelined 1-2 weeks. His absence will place additional scoring burden on Ryan Rollins, whose scoring has been a revelation for the Bucks. It will also mandate that Kyle Kuzma shoot more (he is shooting 27.5% from three), so the Blazers possess an inherent strategic advantage.
The Blazers continue to be marred by injuries. However, against the Golden State Warriors, herculean efforts from Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love made us all forget about the fallibility of the human calf. The games before and after that matchup have demonstrated just how badly the Blazers lack consistent guard play, and thereby stability in their half-court offense.
Wins will likely require the “next man up” to deliver, whoever that may be (and Deni Avdija needs to keep being awesome).
Portland Trail Blazers (7-10) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (8-9) – Mon. Nov 24th – 5pm Pacific
How to watch via antenna or cable: See your options on the Rip City Television Network.
How to watch via streaming: BlazerVision in Oregon and Washington; League Pass or NBA TV everywhere else.
Trail Blazers Injuries: Scoot Henderson, Damian Lillard, Matisse Thybulle, Blake Wesley, Jrue Holiday, Shaedon Sharpe (out)
Bucks Injuries: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Taurean Prince, Kevin Porter Jr. (out)
The Little Things. The Blazers currently lack a consistent identity (unless you count decades of poor injury luck). Moments like these require the Blazers to win the smaller battles – second-chance points, points off of turnovers, possessions, etc. This requires every player to lean into the “chaos” angle (I miss you, Blake Wesley and Matisse Thybulle) and create points from pandemonium.
Next Man Up. As mentioned prior, the Blazers need someone to step up and score. Against the Warriors, it was both Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love. Against the Thunder it was… uh… uhm… well… And against the Bucks, their points will need to come from someone other than Jerami Grant or Deni Avdija.
Animosity. After trading Damian Lillard for Bucks legend Jrue Holiday and the vast majority of their remaining draft capital, things felt amicable between the two franchises and fanbases. A deal was done that satisfied the needs of both parties. Fast-forward two years, and the Blazers now employ Jrue Holiday and Damian Lillard, and still have all of the Bucks’ picks. Woof. Expect Twitter to be more hostile than it normally is.
Despite a middling record, NBA.com still has Giannis Antetokounmpo fourth on the MVP ladder. In 13 games played, Giannis has averaged 31.2 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists.
Shaun Powell of NBA.com writes:
“[Antetokounmpo] was the league’s fourth-leading scorer, seventh-leading rebounder and was averaging a career high in assists before a low-grade groin strain put him in street clothes. It was a dominant opening month stretch for Giannis, who resembled a one-man demolition crew most nights.”
John Sbisa of Behind the Buck Pass (nice) articulates the magnitude of Ryan Rollins’ breakout season, noting that his performance this season may challenge Deni Avdija for Most Improved Player honors. This season, Rollins has upped his scoring average from 6.2 points per game to 18.6 points per game on 50% shooting from the field.
“Plenty of Bucks fans circled Rollins as a player to watch this season. The way he has looked so far, calling it a “breakout campaign” might not even suffice. Rollins has quickly gone from the feel-good fringes of the Most Improved Player discussion to a serious frontrunner. At this point, it’s worth asking whether an M.I.P. award is his floor.”
