Milwaukee Bucks: 3 crucial things to watch for against Miami Heat
By Dalton Sell
After a thrilling opening night victory against the Brooklyn Nets, the Milwaukee Bucks will square off against another Eastern Conference contender in the Miami Heat tonight.
There is plenty of recent history between these two franchises as they have met in consecutive postseasons, with each side winning one series. These matchups with Miami are always gritty, physical, and star-studded, which should be the case once again with both teams reloading after their last meeting. With that being said, here are three things to keep an eye on in tonight’s game.
Will P.J. Tucker be a difference-maker for the Miami Heat against his former team in the Milwaukee Bucks?
The biggest story of Milwaukee’s offseason was the decision to let P.J. Tucker walk after he played such a key part in their title run. He helped bring some toughness into the fold and started in 19 of the 23 playoff games for the team, but they elected to not re-sign him once free agency began. It was an easy decision for him to sign with the Heat after he realized he would not be back with the Bucks, and that will be a headline going into this matchup.
It will be interesting to see how Miami utilizes Tucker on the defensive end. He will likely be tasked with the assignment of guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo, which would be an intriguing matchup. Tucker’s physicality has allowed him to defend much bigger players throughout his career, and he is no stranger to guarding the two-time MVP in the past, whether it be as opponents or on the same team in practice. His defense helped the Bucks end their title drought, and time will tell if he can help bolster Miami’s efforts on that side of the ball as well.
Whatever happens in this game, there will be discussion about Tucker and his surprising exit from the Bucks this past offseason. One regular season game should not alter opinions entirely, but it will be interesting to monitor how impactful Tucker will be for his new squad as they take on the defending champions.