Milwaukee Bucks: 3 bold predictions for preseason

As the Milwaukee Bucks prepare to tip-off their five-game preseason schedule, here are three bold predictions about what we could see.

The Milwaukee Bucks play five exhibition games in order to fine tune themselves for the regular season, and they tip off against the Chicago Bulls on Monday, Oct. 7. Although the game isn’t televised, fans will have plenty of other opportunities to watch their team throughout the preseason, as they’ll face the Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks and Washington Wizards before wrapping up against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Oct. 17.

3. Donte DiVincenzo is the first guard off the bench.

Donte DiVincenzo, the team’s 2018 first-round pick, looked fresh in the Bucks’ annual scrimmage on Sunday. He missed most of his rookie campaign with a heel injury and was even held out in Summer League because of the ongoing concerns. However, he reported he was healthy at Media Day and certainly looked the part in the scrimmage.

With the Bucks looking to replace Brogdon’s production in the lineup, DiVincenzo is one of many potential suitors. He’ll be battling a plethora of others including Pat Connaughton, Sterling Brown, Kyle Korver and Wesley Matthews for minutes at the 2. Look for DiVincenzo to get the first crack at the rotation in the preseason. He was the first guard off the bench last year and was drafted for a reason. If he can improve his outside stroke, he could help provide the Bucks with another offensive threat. He has the potential to get to the hoop semi-regularly as well which could help eliminate the loss of Brogdon.

2. Robin Lopez shooting threes.

This has been a hot topic throughout the summer and one many pundits are questioning. Robin Lopez has only taken 51 three-point attempts in his career, yet, he’ll be asked to take them on the regular during his first season in Milwaukee. It’s rare for a player to drastically shift their game this late in their career, but that’s exactly what Milwaukee is asking of Lopez.

It’s unclear if he’ll hit his threes with any accuracy, but expect Lopez to have no issue firing away from downtown. Opponents will likely sag off him until he can prove to hit the outside shot with any consistency. He won’t have enough time to prove that in preseason which means he’ll get plenty of wide open looks from behind the arc.

1. A lot more mid-range shots than last year.

The Bucks offensive focus has been on creating threes and shots around the hoop. They had a dramatic increase in their three-point attempts last year, as they ranked second in the NBA. Given the future of the league and the type of players Milwaukee has surrounded Giannis Antetokounmpo with, it might be common sense to think they trend in that direction.

However, the Bucks ran into trouble against the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals last year. Following the series, Antetokounmpo talked about needing a mid-range shot to rely on when the going gets touch. Because of that experience, expect Milwaukee to experiment with more mid-rangers in the preseason, as they search for balance in their game.