The Milwaukee Bucks are back home tonight to play the Chicago Bulls in game four of the preseason. The Bucks fell to the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday in an all-around clunker. Almost as soon as Milwaukee’s starters began to sub out, it looked like the offense was playing in mud, highlighted by a stellar 0/8 performance by the man the Bucks are currently being investigated over: Gary Trent Jr. Milwaukee also lost the offensive rebound battle for the first time this preseason—an area they will need
to emphasize if they hope to stay in games this year. The Bucks can chalk that up to growing pains and put it in the rearview mirror as they take on a Bulls team featuring this year’s fourth overall pick, Caleb Wilson.
The Task Ahead
The Chicago Bulls are entering this year with low expectations; many preseason predictions list them alongside the Bucks as a lock for a bottom-five finish. Much like the Bucks, the Bulls found themselves firmly in the bottom 5-10 of just about every team metric last season, and despite hovering around .500 until the All-Star Break, the Bulls saw their record bottom out in March as they ended the year with a 31-51 record, good for 12th in the East. Chicago had luck on their side, however, as the lottery balls bounced them to the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft, where they selected Caleb Wilson (who comes into the year with loads of hype). Wilson made waves immediately, with reports that he was taking between 2,000 and 2,500 shots a day during Summer League.
Long story short, Caleb Wilson represents a bright new future for a fanbase that has endured mediocrity for too long. The Bulls have been searching for their next star since Derrick Rose was severely injured in Game 1 of the 2012 Eastern Conference playoffs, and in Wilson, they might have found it. The Bulls also signed veterans Norman Powell and Nic Claxton to bring experience to what has suddenly become a very young group. To top it off, Chicago welcomed Tiago Splitter as their new head coach, replacing Billy Donovan. All in all, a very productive few months in the Windy City.
Injury Report
The Bulls held Zach Collins, Tobe Awaka, and Isaac Okoro out of practice yesterday, and none are expected to play against Milwaukee. They join Jaylin Sellers, who did not play Sunday against the Nuggets, and Nic Claxton, who sustained a hamstring injury and will be re-evaluated next week before the regular season tip-off.
The Bucks, meanwhile, announced that they would re-evaluate Nate Ament just before the season opener against Washington. There have been no other updates on anyone else.
Player to Watch
On Saturday, Milwaukee announced that Brayden Burries would not play against the Hornets; Taylor Jenkins told the media that the team was still trying different rotations and lineups. After watching Gary Trent Jr., Caris LeVert, and Kevin Porter Jr. build the Bucks a home—brick by brick—now is as good a time as any to let Burries feature more heavily off the bench. The 21-year-old uses his size to get downhill, and he’s shown he is not afraid to draw contact—exactly the brand of basketball many fans want to see. Against the Thunder, Burries led a late-game charge to secure the win, scoring 16 points and grabbing five rebounds and two steals. Expect Burries to impose his will against the Bulls.
Projected Starters
Game Details
Who: Milwaukee Bucks (1-2) vs. Chicago Bulls (1-2)
When: 7:00 p.m. CDT
Where: Fiserv Forum—Milwaukee, WI
Watch: MY24
Listen: Check local listings
Prescient Prediction
Kasparas Jakucionis looked impressive against Oklahoma City, and I expect he’ll get even more run in against the Bulls—lock him in for seven+ assists.
