3 keys in Milwaukee Bucks first meeting with Cleveland Cavaliers
After blowing out an Eastern Conference rival with minimal availability, the Milwaukee Bucks will take on a division rival for the first time this season in the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In the last three seasons, the Bucks have dominated the Cavaliers, going 9-1 in that span including having won the last seven meetings. These aren’t the same Cavaliers, at least to begin the 2021-22 season. They’re 13-11 after losing to the Utah Jazz last night but have been very competitive and have a promising future.
For a Bucks team that may not have its full complement of players (not including the three usual suspects that are out long-term), it could lead to a pretty close game even though Cleveland is on the second night of a back-to-back.
It used to be a near-guaranteed win when the Cavs showed up on the schedule the last few seasons but now the Bucks could be in for a close one if they look past this game.
How will the Milwaukee Bucks attack the Cleveland Cavaliers’ paint defense?
After a few games against teams that either didn’t have a ton of size in the frontcourt (Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets) or were missing their primary rim protector (Miami Heat), the Bucks have had a pretty easy time scoring around the basket.
The Cavs present a very unique challenge in that they’ve built around their size in the frontcourt, specifically reigning Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month Evan Mobley and breakout big man Jarrett Allen. Both players are incredibly athletic and have great feel on the defensive end for blocking shots and generally contesting attempts around the rim. They allow the second-lowest field goal percentage on shots in the restricted area at 59.2 percent, per NBA.com/stats.
Those two are the backbone of what is a top-five defense by defensive rating and are going to make life very difficult for a Bucks team that thrives on getting to the rim. Giannis Antetokounmpo is listed as questionable for this one after missing the previous two games with calf soreness but if he does play, I’m interested to see how he handles this challenging matchup.
He and Allen have had some fun battles over the last couple of years while Allen was with the Brooklyn Nets and now with Mobley alongside him, it should make for some very interesting paint battles.
Beyond Antetokounmpo, players like Bobby Portis, Jrue Holiday, and even DeMarcus Cousins will be challenged with the Cavs duo’s length. This will be the primary battle to watch on the offensive end all game long.