Game 1 of the Milwaukee Bucks‘ blockbuster Eastern Conference Semifinals series with Brooklyn Nets is set to tip off later Saturday night at the Barclays Center.
The high-profile clash between two of the biggest contenders in the East isn’t short on starpower, talent and plenty of intrigue as this gigantic series will surely impact the title race as a whole.
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With such massive implications, there are plenty of big, overarching questions that will surely impact how this series between the Bucks and the Nets ultimately shakes out.
So without further ado, let’s explore the three biggest questions facing the Milwaukee Bucks as they square off with the Brooklyn Nets in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
How much will the Milwaukee Bucks miss Donte DiVincenzo?
The Bucks were dealt quite the blow as they were writing their first round sweep of the Miami Heat when they lost Donte DIVincenzo to a left foot tendon injury that will keep him out of the rest of the season.
Milwaukee has yet to feel the impact of losing DiVincenzo, but that will surely be tested as their series with the Nets tips off.
Not only are there questions surrounding which direction Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer will go to in replacing DiVincenzo, but there are also questions in regards to how the Bucks’ backcourt rotation will look moving forward.
Budenholzer may have started Pat Connaughton in Game 4 in the Bucks’ series with the Heat, but the two-time Coach of the Year talked about the importance of replacing DiVincenzo through a group approach. There’s a variety of ways that Bud and the Bucks can approach that.
Connaughton offers similar plus-rebounding and defense to that of DiVincenzo, along with the shaky shooting. After shooting the lights out against the Heat, the Bucks could further rely on Bryn Forbes in a larger role, even though he’ll stand as a big target for the Nets to hunt on the defensive end. And P.J. Tucker offers the defensive toughness they’ll need to slow down the likes of Durant and Harden, in partciular.
Despite the ups and downs that DiVincenzo sported throughout the regular season, replacing him won’t be an easy question to solve by any measure. And the answers they seek to this question will surely evolve over the course of the series as well as the urgency.