Milwaukee Bucks: 3 things to watch for vs. Houston Rockets in Orlando

Milwaukee Bucks: 3 things to watch for vs. Houston Rockets in Orlando – Waiting on reinforcements?

Perhaps the biggest questions facing the Bucks going into Sunday night’s game is whether they will be closer to full strength.

For the win over the Celtics, the Bucks were without Eric Bledsoe, Pat Connaughton and Marvin Williams, with both Bledsoe and Connaughton’s absence being announced the day before by head coach Mike Budenholzer. Williams’ absence didn’t look to be expected as he was dealing with a moderate left groin strain as Matt Velazquez tweeted about before the game.

While we wait on an update regarding Williams’ status, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Bucks and Budenholzer take it slow with the veteran forward. And if that were to be the case, that could make for a sticky situation as he would be well-suited to be out on the floor when Houston is utilizing their very small ball lineups.

Projecting when Bledsoe and Connaughton will make their Orlando debuts respectively seems fool hardy as getting their conditioning levels back up will be more important in the long run than anything else.

But Bledsoe’s absence, in particular, puts the onus on Matthews to do a similar job of shadowing and slowing down Harden, just as he did on opening night. Does that mean Donte DiVincenzo as well as George Hill will take on the task of limiting Westbrook then? Those are some of the bigger questions that will be answered as the night unfolds.

In any event, the Bucks will need someone to step up, should they roll with the same number of available players going into the night, and their supporting cast will obviously be vital to supplement whatever Antetokounmpo does.

The Bucks’ clash with the Houston Rockets will tip off at 7.30 p.m. Sunday night and you can catch the action nationally on ESPN, and on Fox Sports Wisconsin for those living in the Wisconsin area.