3 keys for Milwaukee Bucks getting back on track vs Memphis Grizzlies

How will Grayson Allen fare against his former team?

Although he saw them in the preseason (as you can see from the photo above), this will be the first real matchup for Grayson Allen against his former team following the offseason trade that brought him to Milwaukee.

Over halfway through the season and it seems as though the trade has worked out well for all parties. The Grizzlies weren’t going to pay Allen, so they shipped him to the Bucks for a couple of second-round picks and Sam Merrill. Allen got the extension he was looking for from the Bucks and has played very well.

Despite a slump recently, Allen is averaging a career-high 12 points and shooting over 39 percent from 3 on nearly seven attempts per game. He’s shown a great ability to not only spot up shoot but put the ball on the floor and drive as well as kick out to open shooters on those drives. The Bucks certainly have to be feeling good about that extension at the moment.

The Grizzlies could use his shooting, sure, but they’re also 3rd in the Western Conference and seem to be surviving just fine without him. And hey, Merrill is on one of the best teams in the league still but has only played in six games.

The Bucks’ offense has dried up a little bit as of late without Holiday so they’ll need a big performance to go along with Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. Allen has been better since returning from health and safety protocols and perhaps there’s a little revenge on his mind for the team that didn’t want to pay him. It would sure help.

This is one of the games I have been looking forward to the most recently as I’m a big fan of what the Grizzlies are building and have done this season. It will be a test for both teams and should be a highly competitive game.