Milwaukee Bucks: 3 things to watch for as Oklahoma City Thunder visit

Playoff rotation auditions

There may not be a whole lot to play for in terms of results for the Bucks, but make no mistake, there’s still plenty up for grabs when it comes to individual players.

Injuries may simplify Mike Budenholzer’s rotation decisions for the first round of the playoffs, but with the expectation of a shortened rotation, and increased competition in play with the expected returns of Malcolm Brogdon, Nikola Mirotic and Tony Snell over the coming weeks, there’s a real battle for places coming to the fore.

As such, every game presents the Bucks’ role players with a chance to make their case and prove that they enter the playoffs in good form.

Particularly interesting in that regard are Sterling Brown and Pat Connaughton. As things stand, Brown may well enter playoff action as a starter, but he would still be at risk of a dramatically reduced role if and when those injured players return.

Similarly, Connaughton has played a key role for the Bucks of late, logging significant minutes and performing well, but is his spot secure if the Bucks were to reach a Conference Finals and have more options at their disposal again?

Another player who could probably do with a strong game to send a message to his coach is D.J. Wilson. Wilson has been a beneficiary of the injury to Mirotic in terms of minutes, but his play since that point hasn’t quite hit the heights it was at early in the year. A stellar offensive performance to close the year could be particularly helpful for his case.

The game will be televised on Fox Sports Wisconsin, with tip-off from Fiserv Forum set for 7pm CT on Wednesday night.