The reigning, defending, undisputed NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks will be opening the season against the explosive Brooklyn Nets to kick off the 2021-22 NBA season tonight. First, Milwaukee will raise the 2021 NBA Championship banner and receive their championship rings.
The Bucks and Nets in 2020-21 were the two highest-scoring teams in the NBA last season at 120 and 118.5 points per game. Brooklyn and Milwaukee will be returning their top three scorers from last season. The Bucks will have Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and First-Team All-Defender Jrue Holiday. The Nets will be returning two of their three in Kevin Durant and James Harden. Kyrie Irving will not be with the team as he has not been vaccinated, and the team has declared that he will not join them until further notice.
Of course, the teams met in the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season, where the Bucks overcame a 48-point Game 7 performance from Durant. The Bucks won the series, four games to three, and won in overtime in Game 7, 115-111. Antetokounmpo had 40 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists in the victory. Middleton had 23 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and five steals. Brook Lopez also had his best game of the series with 19 points, eight rebounds, four blocks, and three triples.
The Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets look somewhat different compared to when they last met in the Eastern Conference Semifinals
Each team also has key players that are new to the team that could be crucial in their run to the Finals this year. The Bucks added via trade Grayson Allen, who could prove to be a crucial piece off the bench this year. Allen averaged 10 points per game on 39 percent shooting from 3-point range for the Memphis Grizzlies in 2020-21. Brooklyn added veteran power forward Paul Millsap in free agency this past offseason. Millsap averaged nine points per game on 47 percent shooting for the Denver Nuggets in 2020-21.
Brooklyn also brought back LaMarcus Aldridge, who abruptly retired last season due to heart issues. However, Milwaukee has also brought back George Hill, who was the backup point guard behind Eric Bledsoe during Milwaukee’s playoff runs in 2019 and 2020. Hill spent last season starting in Oklahoma City and also in Philadelphia backing up Ben Simmons. Hill averaged just under nine points per game on 48 percent shooting and 39 percent from beyond the 3-point line.
Taking a look at the odds for the 2021-22 season, the Nets and Bucks are pegged as the top two contenders to get to the Finals this season. Most analysts believe that a healthy Nets team last year would have beaten Milwaukee. This year provides Milwaukee the chance to thwart the criticism by repeating as NBA Champions.
All of the big questions surrounding Milwaukee last season were erased when they won the title. Now, the questions surrounding Giannis of whether or not he is able to win it all in a small market like Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Now, the question this year will be, “Can Giannis repeat with a healthy Brooklyn Nets team in their way?” Their title defense begins October 19th, which will also be the first time the NBA will have 82 games in a season since 2018-19.
Be sure to catch the must-see action between the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets tonight at 6:30 P.M. CST on TNT.