Milwaukee Bucks: 3 things to watch for in Game 1 against Detroit Pistons
By Adam McGee
Keeping Giannis out of foul trouble
Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged just over 20 points per game in four games against the Pistons in the regular season. By his incredibly lofty, MVP-esque standards that represents a very modest return for Antetokounmpo.
A glimpse at those numbers could easily prompt the question of whether the Pistons have a route to stopping Antetokounmpo, but his 58.3 percent shooting from the field against Detroit largely puts paid to that idea too.
If there’s anything the Pistons have managed to do to slow down Antetokounmpo, it’s been getting him into foul trouble.
Antetokounmpo has averaged 4.8 personal fouls per game against the Pistons, which is 50 percent more than his overall average in that department for the season.
Giannis hasn’t just racked up fouls gradually against the Pistons either, as he’s been forced to sit out major sections of almost every game against Detroit in an attempt to manage the situation.
Antetokounmpo needs to remain disciplined on Sunday, and beyond, as if he can stay on the floor, the Bucks’ chances of winning any Eastern Conference game rise exponentially, and the Pistons certainly won’t stand a chance.