After several months off, the Milwaukee Bucks returned to action with their preseason opener on the road against the Detroit Pistons.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton both on the sidelines, fans did not get a look at the newly-tweaked roster at full strength, but they saw several newcomers on the floor for the first time. After a hot start, the Bucks cooled down mightily as the game went on, eventually pulling the starters to roll with the young guys for most of the second half.
In the end, the Bucks kicked things off with a grueling loss, as the Pistons secured a 120-87 victory. With that said, let us highlight some of the biggest takeaways from the matchup.
Gary Trent Jr.'s strong debut cut short with injury
Starting at shooting guard like many thought he would, Gary Trent Jr. looked solid in the 13 minutes he logged. He knocked down a nice 3-point look in transition before burying a tough runner after he attacked the hoop inside. The newcomer was in the middle of a great debut before he dropped hard to the floor following a hard screen from Jalen Duren.
Trent was clearly in tremendous pain as he exited the court, and he was soon ruled out for the rest of the game with what the team called a left elbow hyperextension.
The Bucks, who have suffered injuries consistently over the last three seasons, cannot catch a break. It's currently unclear how long this injury might keep Trent off the court, but a hyperextension could take time to heal. That throws a wrench in him building chemistry with his new teammates via game action, which is a brutal blow for the Milwaukee Bucks.
More information will come soon, but for now, the Bucks must await answers about their two guard.
Damian Lillard's hot start provided some optimism
There was a lot of talk about Damian Lillard not being the player he once was during the offseason, and he certainly heard plenty of it. Looking to start things off on the right foot, Lillard came out of the gates aggressively offensively against the Pistons, catching firing and giving the Milwaukee Bucks a commanding lead early on.
In the first quarter, Lillard scored 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 4-of-5 from deep to go along with three assists. The guard looked to be in incredible shape as he moved around the court, and his confidence in his deep shot was undoubtedly still present. It was exactly the type of fire everyone in Milwaukee wanted to see him play with from day one.
While he cooled off in the second quarter, which was pretty much the story for everyone, it was a welcoming sign to see Lillard assert himself early with Antetokounmpo and Middleton out. It'll be a crucial objective for him to keep this up throughout the preseason to keep up this aggressiveness every single time he gets on the floor.
It would be nice to see him get reps with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, but time will tell if that comes to fruition.
Bucks new defensive-minded additions look solid in their roles
From the moment they were signed, it was easy to envision just how Delon Wright and Taurean Prince would fit in with a Milwaukee Bucks team that needed more versatile defenders on the roster.
Wright, serving as the backup point guard, came off the bench and established himself right away by picking up tough defensive assignments and even logging a block. He also played well offensively by finishing with eight points and two assists in limited minutes. The two turnovers were not ideal, but he showed that he can make an impact as a two-way threat whenever he gets on the floor.
Taurean Prince, filling in as a starter, did a dash of everything in his Bucks debut, notching five points, five rebounds, two assists and two blocks. The highlight of the night was an emphatic block right at the rim against Jaden Ivey, saving a dunk. This jack-of-all-trades style of play will make Prince one of the most important role players on the team this coming season.
In what was an ugly overall game, it was great to see these two play their roles rather well, and with uncertainty surrounding Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Trent, they could both see extended action in the remaining preseason games.
Bucks "rotation hopefuls" didn't impress whatsoever
MarJon Beauchamp, AJ Green, Andre Jackson Jr. and Chris Livingston are all young players fighting to prove they have a place in this Milwaukee Bucks rotation in 2024-25. None of them did anything to raise their stock in this game, as there was unquestionably some rust on display.
In 18 minutes, Jackson had two points and three turnovers on 1-of-6 shooting. In 17 minutes, Green had just three points on 1-of-5 shooting. In 14 minutes, Beauchamp shot 0-of-4 with two personal fouls and a turnover. In 12 minutes, Livingston had zero points, missing all three of his shot attempts while logging three turnovers. It was ugly across the board.
Entering the preseason, it felt like AJ Green was the young Buck likeliest to earn a spot in the rotation, but this competition is still wide open. Given that everyone here is a second or third-year player, it will be interesting to see how they respond throughout the rest of the preseason. They all have a chance to boost their individual stock in hopes of minutes, but they failed to do so in this opening game.
With all four players getting decent burn off the bench, Rivers clearly wanted to get a good look at all of them to see how they'd perform, and that will likely continue throughout the preseason.
Bucks rookies show confidence but not results
There's been much praise floating around for Milwaukee's rookies lately. While everything that's been spoken about AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith may have truth to it, they got off to a tough start in Detroit.
In just a tick under 18 minutes, Johnson had two points, three fouls and two turnovers, shooting just 1-of-8 from the floor. Logging 12 minutes, Smith had five points on 2-of-7 shooting. Though the first preseason game is not the end all be all, it's clear that both players are far from finished products, and no one should have expected them to be; they're 19 years old.
Despite their poor numbers, it was welcoming to see neither youngster lose confidence. Even though he missed his share of shots at the hoop, Johnson continued using his speed and athleticism to get inside and put up a shot. The 6-foot-11 Smith kept firing away with his smooth jump shot. This is the mentality and confidence a rookie must have to survive at this level. It will help them grow.
This was certainly not how the Milwaukee Bucks wanted to kick off their 2024-25 journey, especially with Gary Trent Jr. going down with injury. They will be back on the court Thursday for a matchup with the Los Angeles Lakers, where they will aim to bounce back.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.