After a turbulent regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks are set to take on the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
The series will begin this coming Sunday when the sixth-seeded Bulls head north to Fiserv Forum to visit the third-seeded Bucks in a battle of Central Division rivals. Given just how thrilling the four games between these two were during the regular season, this first round series has the potential to be something special. One specific aspect of this series that will be fascinating to see is the key matchups offensively and defensively, as both teams boast their share of star power. With all that being said, let us take a closer look at three pivotal matchups that could dominate this series.
Brook Lopez versus Nikola Vucevic will be a pivotal matchup of centers as the Milwaukee Bucks take on the Chicago Bulls
Given that he was sidelined for a significant portion of the regular season due to a back procedure, Brook Lopez only appeared in two of Milwaukee’s four games against Chicago. Although the Bucks managed to defeat the Bulls even in the two games that they played without him, Lopez displayed just how important he could be in the other matchups because of how well he matched up against Nikola Vucevic, Chicago’s starting center.
Defensively, Lopez did a number on Vucevic during their two games as he held him to 16 points on just 7-of-22 shooting (31.8 percent), including 2-of-6 from long distance, per NBA.com/stats. Having guarded the center for 71.1 partial possessions, Lopez has not matched up against anyone more often than Vucevic this season, so these two will certainly see plenty of one another during this upcoming playoff series. If Lopez can replicate his regular season success defensively to keep Vucevic in check throughout the matchup, it would help the Bucks tremendously.
Offensively, Lopez’s contributions could be crucial in this series. The center was solid when Vucevic was his primary defender as he scored 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting (46.7 percent) across 66.7 partial possessions. Lopez’s shooting numbers were mainly bogged down by his lackluster 3-point shooting, as he knocked down just one triple in five attempts. Lopez hitting that outside shot with some consistency could be a sizeable difference-maker as it would force Vucevic to guard him out on the perimeter rather than protecting the hoop down low, which would give the Bucks spacing and more freedom on the offensive end.
Lopez and Vucevic have prior postseason experience against one another as the two matched up during the first round of the 2020 Playoffs, and it will be interesting to see them back at it again.
Wesley Matthews versus DeMar DeRozan will be a crucial matchup as the Milwaukee Bucks take on the Chicago Bulls
The Milwaukee Bucks promoted Wesley Matthews into the starting lineup recently for matchups such as this one. While Grayson Allen is a solid defender, Matthews is a more reputable defender without question, and the defending champions will need that with DeMar DeRozan on the other side of the basketball. This way, Matthews can take DeRozan right from the opening tip, and the regular season numbers suggest that they will spend a massive portion of the series matched up.
Matthews has guarded DeRozan across 102.2 partial possessions this season, which is by far the most time he has spent guarding any player. For reference, Brooklyn Nets’ forward Kevin Durant is second on the list at 78.8 possessions, showing how significant the gap is. During that timeframe, Matthews has not exactly limited DeRozan’s contributions offensively as he has scored 37 points on 16-of-31 shooting (51.6 percent) in their four meetings. Matthews’ defense on the All-Star will be among the most key factors in this series, as Milwaukee’s swingman will have his hands full on that side of the court.
Given that DeRozan shot a mere three 3-pointers during the 102.2 partial possessions that he and Matthews were matched up, most of his damage came from inside the arc. That will be the case in this matchup as well, in all likelihood, given DeRozan’s mid-range game. The All-Star led the NBA in mid-range makes this season with 348 total, shooting 47 percent on his attempts to help propel a dominant year scoring the basketball as he averaged a career-high 27.9 points per game.
Matthews will be tasked with making things challenging for DeRozan whenever he gets into his spot, which is far easier said than done, of course. Still, Matthews possesses the physicality and savviness to pose a problem for DeRozan, and the minutes when these two are matched up will be vital for the Milwaukee Bucks’ success in this series.
Jrue Holiday versus DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine will be key matchups as the Milwaukee Bucks battle the Chicago Bulls
With Wesley Matthews likely taking on the assignment of guarding DeMar DeRozan right away, Jrue Holiday will be matched up against Zach LaVine. However, that does not mean Holiday will solely be glued to LaVine throughout the matchup, as he will likely see plenty of time defending DeRozan in various situations. Holiday’s defense on both All-Stars will be crucial, as he has the power to limit their contributions significantly due to his defensive excellence.
Throughout the four regular season games played between these two franchises, Holiday held DeRozan to 30 points on 11-of-27 shooting (40.7 percent) across 80.8 partial possessions. DeRozan was solid from behind the arc as well as he hit three of his five triple attempts. When Matthews is catching his breath or is defending someone else, Holiday must put pressure on the All-Star forward constantly. Given his excellence on that side of the basketball, Holiday has the necessary capabilities to match up well with a stellar scorer like DeRozan.
Given that LaVine only appeared in two of the four meetings between the Bulls and Bucks during the regular season, the sample size is smaller. During the 59.8 partial possessions Holiday was on LaVine, the latter scored 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting (50 percent), including 3-of-8 from three. Like DeRozan, LaVine is also a reputable scorer, and the Bucks will desperately need Holiday to do his part to keep him in check throughout the series. As one of the best guard defenders there is in the NBA, Holiday is capable, but it will be far from easy in this series.
Having such an incredibly versatile defender like Holiday will be crucial for the Milwaukee Bucks in this series as he can match up with a handful of different Chicago Bulls, but these two will likely be the most frequent of the bunch.
Be sure to tune in this Sunday when the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls square off in Game 1.