Milwaukee Bucks: 3 things to look out for in 2021-22 NBA season opener
By Eliot Javers
Which member of the Milwaukee Bucks will primarily defend Kevin Durant?
In the series against Brooklyn, P.J. Tucker put forth a defensive performance that will live in Bucks fans’ heads for ages. He guarded Kevin Durant valiantly for almost all of his minutes in the series. Although KD still did KD things, having averaged 35.4 points in the season and almost put the Bucks away on a last-second shot in Game 7, Tucker’s hard-fought effort was greatly appreciated.
Unfortunately, Tucker left for South Beach, so Milwaukee will be looking for a new body to throw at KD. There are several candidates for this tough task. The main option people will want to see is Giannis. Although this idea sounds good in theory, Antetokounmpo is best as a weak side/help defender and would tire out very easily on the offensive end. The next option would be Middleton. This is the most likely option, albeit not ideal. Khris is a much-needed part of the Bucks offense, and as with Antetokounmpo, guarding KD would take a lot out of Middleton.
The last option for the Bucks will not be active for the first game of the season, which would be Semi Ojeleye. Ojeleye is a strong, long defender and will be very valuable to the Bucks come playoff time. We saw this when he was on the Celtics, as he defended Antetokounmpo well, although the Greek Freak obviously got the best of him most of the time. This is all you can hope for with Durant, as he is the most elite shotmaker at his size in NBA history.
Next. Milwaukee Bucks: 3 burning questions following the 2021 preseason. dark
It should be a great start to the 2021-22 NBA season, and you can watch it all at 6:30 p.m. CST on TNT. Be sure to tune in a little early if possible to see the champs get their rings and hoist their title banner in Fiserv Forum.