Milwaukee Bucks Preview: Game 1 at Toronto Raptors

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Nov 25, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) shoots during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Toronto won 105-99. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

Major Key For Milwaukee: Don’t Double Too Much

Toronto boasts two of the best guards in the NBA in Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan. It will be tempting for the Bucks to send help to Malcolm Brogdon, Tony Snell and anybody else who ends up spending time guarding either of the alpha Raptors.

Milwaukee needs to be steadfast about not overdoing their help defense, though. Lowry and DeRozan clearly need to be accounted for defensively, but shooters like Serge Ibaka, DeMarre Carroll, P.J. Tucker, Cory Joseph and Patrick Patterson can’t be consistently left open.

Oftentimes over the last few years it’s been role players on the Raptors that have killed the Bucks when these teams meet up in the regular season. Some of them have since departed, like Terrence Ross, Greivis Vasquez and Lou Williams.

Even after losing those capable scorers, Toronto has shooters left over that could easily hurt the Bucks from long-range. As these two teams feel each other out in game one, three-point shooting will likely emerge as one of the most important factors for both of them.

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