Saturday night saw the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Atlanta Hawks and progress to the Emirates NBA Cup Final, where they will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The star-studded matchup is going to be a real treat to watch from a fan perspective, but also a really tough call as to who will take home the trophy on Tuesday.
Milwaukee showed signs of being a great team on Saturday and has been on a really good run over the last month, but there is still plenty to be worked on. OKC sits atop the Western Conference with a 20-5 record and is 9-1 in their last 10.
You would have to be a brave person to call this game, but let's take a look at two advantages and two advantages for the Milwaukee Bucks in their NBA Cup Final against the Thunder.
Advantage - Giannis Antetokounmpo
A pretty straightforward advantage is that the Bucks have the best player in the game and the best player in the league. That late block on the Clint Capela alley-oop was otherworldly and showed exactly why Giannis Antetokounmpo is right in the mix for the MVP. The Greek Freak finished with 32 points, 14 rebounds, nine assists, four blocks and a steal on 66.7 percent shooting. He found his way to the line 18 times and made 12 of them. He's a force.
This isn't a series; this is a one-off game. The Bucks having Giannis is such a huge factor in this, and he clearly wants to win the NBA Cup and keep the team trending up. It will be intriguing to see who the Thunder throw at him defensively. Against the Houston Rockets, they started with Jalen Williams and Lu Dort; both are undersized compared to Giannis but are two good defenders.
If it came down to a one-off game, Giannis Antetokounmpo is likely to be at the top of everyone's list as to who they'd want.
Disadvantage - Youth and speed
Milwaukee has addressed the issue of being one of the older rosters in the league by adding younger players into the mix. The emergence of Andre Jackson Jr. and AJ Green has benefitted the team massively. That being said, the Thunder are still a young roster but are showing great maturity and speed in which they play.
The Bucks have the seventh-highest average age in the league, with the Thunder being the youngest. What is a weird fact is the Thunder have just two players 30 and older. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks have seven.
The Bucks did slightly fix their issue with transition defense against the Hawks, as they only gave up 15 fast break points. OKC averages 16.8 fastbreak points per game and leads the league in points scored off turnovers and opponent's points scored off turnovers. It has been a constant issue all season for the Bucks, with needless turnovers and getting back in transition plaguing them.
The Thunder will look to take advantage of this as much as possible, and Milwaukee will have to be in constant hustle mode to slow their Western opponent down.
Rivers has been leaning on the younger guys recently, and they will be key to the Bucks winning this. Youth is on the Thunder's side, but that means experience is on Milwaukee's side.
Advantage - Size
Giannis and Brook Lopez combine down low brilliantly, and their size will be huge for this game. Bobby Portis has also picked it up recently off the bench following a period of struggling to impact the game at all. Health does play into it, as Chet Holmgren's absence for the Thunder has them in a tough position to defend the Milwaukee Bucks' length.
Saturday saw Isaiah Hartenstein start again for the Thunder. He will likely have to take Lopez, meaning Giannis will be matched up on one of the smaller wings. Their next tallest player against the Rockets was 6-foot-7 Kenrich Williams, which gives the Bucks a huge (pardon the pun) advantage.
OKC averages significantly more points in the paint than Milwaukee, but the matchups may play into the Bucks' hand. We know what Giannis can do, and his likely undersized defender will attract attention, therefore creating opportunities for the rest of the team, particularly the shooters.
Disadvantage - Coaching
Now, this isn't a "Doc Rivers is a bad coach" segment, but everyone can agree that Mark Daigneault is one of the best coaches in the NBA.
Last season's Coach of the Year has been a brilliant hire for the Thunder since he stepped up from an assistant role in 2019. The young team has seen a lot of change over his time in charge, with a multitude of trades going down and now having one of the best rosters with what seems an unlimited amount of draft picks moving forward. Across the 2022-23 and 2023-24 season, Daigneault has a record of 97-77.
With a 20-5 record this season, this OKC team is getting better every year under the stewardship of the 39-year-old.
Rivers will have to be at his best and get creative with his game plan. Giannis and Damian Lillard will take the lead, but the minutes of Khris Middleton will be really important. He has been coming off the bench for around 20 minutes a night, but his shot creation in what will be a close game will be integral to any Bucks' success.
The size difference was mentioned earlier, and the Milwaukee Bucks will have the advantage. Yet, make no mistake, Daigneault will be conjuring up a plan on how to stop Giannis, and they have a number of players that can be switched onto Lillard or Middleton.
It will be a brilliant and star-studded matchup regardless. The Bucks have things in their favor, but they have to be aware of the quality the Thunder possess. This could be their toughest game of the season with what is on the line.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks news and analysis.