Bucks struggle shooting-wise in preseason loss to Grizzlies, fall to 1-1

For the second consecutive preseason game, Milwaukee Bucks fans would not see the talented trio of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and Khris Middleton.

They were all ruled out of a matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. Reinforcements still arrived, as Cameron Payne, A.J. Green, and Chris Livingston all suited up after missing the opener against the Chicago Bulls. How did the Bucks fare without their Big 3? Well, they were pretty solid for the first three quarters, but the floodgates opened in Memphis’ favor in the final period.

Bucks struggle shooting-wise in preseason loss to Grizzlies, fall to 1-1

Though the Bucks managed to keep this game close and even led for a good chunk of it, they could not find a groove on offense all night. They shot just 36-of-98 (36.7 percent) from the floor and an unimpressive 10-of-42 (23.8 percent) from 3-point land. It’s hard to win a game with numbers like those, so it’s impressive that the Bucks were in this one until the very end.

Jae Crowder had a solid outing with a team-high 14 points, shooting 6-for-11 from the floor while also tallying three rebounds, two assists, and a steal. Though he struggled from three, it’s great to see Crowder find some semblance of a groove, as the Milwaukee Bucks will need him to be at his best this coming season, whether he’s starting or coming off of the bench.

Despite shooting 0-for-6 from the floor, including 0-of-4 from deep, Cameron Payne still managed to make an impact by tallying five assists while not logging a single turnover. Passing like that will be crucial off of the bench this coming season, so it’s great to see Payne building chemistry with a handful of his Bucks teammates.

Pat Connaughton and Malik Beasley were both not shy about letting it fly from deep, combining to go 5-of-18 from long range. They will have to be better, but the preseason is a great time for them to try and get themselves in a groove by letting it fly as much as possible. Both players remain in a close race for the starting two-guard slot in Milwaukee once the regular season begins.

MarJon Beauchamp, coming off a tremendous 18-point effort against Chicago, could not replicate that type of performance against Memphis, tallying just eight points on 2-of-11 shooting from the floor. Inconsistency remains a bit of an issue for Beauchamp, but hopefully he can put this contest behind him and bounce back in the team’s next contest.

Milwaukee’s two rookie draft picks, Andre Jackson Jr. and Chris Livingston, both clocked in decent performances in their limited minutes. As he also did against Chicago, Jackson served as a do-it-all player, notching seven points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block. Livingston was a sparkplug, having shown some intensity off of the bench with four rebounds and seven points.

Jackson and Livingston are two players to keep a close eye on with each passing game, as it’s very clear that they both have the potential to help this team out.

The Bucks will not be back on the floor for more preseason action until Oct. 15 when they take on the Los Angeles Lakers. Only time will tell if that will be the first time the team’s new Big 3 takes the floor together, but one would think it’s likely with the team to have several days off.

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