Milwaukee Bucks: 3 things to watch for in season opener against Boston Celtics
The Milwaukee Bucks will kick off their 2020-21 regular season by taking on their old rival in the Boston Celtics Wednesday night at TD Garden.
The official return of Milwaukee Bucks basketball is finally here for the 2020-21 season.
The Bucks are ready to kick off their 2020-21 season by taking on the Boston Celtics Wednesday night at TD Garden that will surely reignite their decades-long rivalry in front of a nationally televised audience.
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After a busy offseason, which was highlighted by the blockbuster addition of Jrue Holiday and the landmark supermax extension that Giannis Antetokounmpo signed last week, the Bucks are ready to take on the expectations of playing for an NBA championship once again.
Now it all begins tonight and let’s kick off the first game preview of the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2020-21 season by looking at the three biggest things to watch for when they face up against the Boston Celtics.
Allow the Milwaukee Bucks to reintroduce themselves
While the Bucks and the Celtics have getting used to each playing against each other over the last few years both in the regular season and playoffs combined, there will be a different twist in kicking off their season series this year.
That certainly points to the many changes the Bucks have undergone from the offseason as they turned over their entire roster, save for the very top of players who saw the most minutes last year. Per NBA.com’s John Schuhmann continuity rankings, the Bucks have 50 percent of their returning minutes from last year’s squad, the fourth-lowest mark of all NBA teams.
Conversely, the Celtics are entering the season with 76 percent of their returning minutes from last year’s team, a mark that ranks them 10th in that department. Of course, the biggest departure the Celtics suffered this offseason was Gordon Hayward, who bolted to join the Charlotte Hornets in what ultimately ended up being a sign-and-trade deal.
In the wake of Hayward’s departure, the Celtics haven’t really added someone capable of bringing the same shooting and playmaking Hayward brought to the table over his three seasons in Boston. The Celtics added shooting through the draft with Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard and used their mid-level exception on Tristan Thompson in free agency, the latter whom may or may not be available tomorrow night against the Bucks.
#NEBHInjuryReport Brad Stevens says the team is hopeful that Tristan Thompson (hamstring) will be available tomorrow, but that's TBD. Kemba Walker (knee), meanwhile, is not close to returning, per Stevens.
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) December 22, 2020
On top of all that, the Celtics will be without one of the biggest players that has been a thorn in the Bucks’ side over the last couple of seasons especially, with that being Kemba Walker.