3 keys in Milwaukee Bucks first meeting with Cleveland Cavaliers

The Milwaukee Bucks will need to contain breakout star Darius Garland

There was no way I was going to preview a game against the Cavs and not dedicate a whole section to one of my favorite players to watch this season, Darius Garland.

In his third year, the 21-year-old is having a breakout season as the leading scorer for the surprising Cavs and has the makings of a future multi-time All-Star. He’s averaging over 19 points per game on near 60 percent true shooting and has scored 30-plus points in back-to-back games now.

In addition to the scoring, he is also averaging over seven assists per game and is the straw that stirs the drink offensively for Cleveland. He has great chemistry with Allen and Mobley in the pick-and-roll which has been accentuated after they lost Collin Sexton and forced Garland into an even bigger role.

I’m gushing a lot over Garland but I’m a sucker for a point guard with a diverse offensive profile. He’s going to be a handful for Jrue Holiday with how he can score off the dribble and also be a menace for the Bucks big men with how he manipulates passing lanes for his bigs.

However, on defense is where he is susceptible and isn’t quite as polished. Holiday should be able to attack him and post him up a few times for some easy buckets and you’ll likely see Khris Middleton hunt him on switches multiple times, especially if the game is close.