Milwaukee Bucks vs. Detroit Pistons Preview: The going gets tougher

SB Nation

Things don’t get any easier for the Milwaukee Bucks, with the East-leading Detroit Pistons in town tonight. This will be the divisional rivals’ first regular-season game against each other this season;

that said, the Bucks did beat the Pistons in a preseason game.

Where We’re At

As has been well chronicled, the Bucks are in a rough patch right now. They were already playing poorly before Giannis got injured, but now have an uphill climb to keep their heads above water without the big fella. Overall, Milwaukee has lost to the Lakers, Cavs, and Sixers over their last three, and they rank a whopping 29th on offence during that span (21st on defence). It’s now at the point where Doc probably needs to start pressing some buttons regarding the rotation, because the status quo isn’t cutting it—seriously, will Cole Anthony ever get benched?

On the other hand, the Pistons are in a whole different world, winners of 11 straight and with an overall record of 13-2. This team is hanging its hat on defence, ranking second on the season in that department; not too shabby on offence either, ranking 12th. In many ways, you could see this coming last year after they hired a great coach in JB Bickerstaff (coaching really, really matters!) and started to establish a culture that looks super fun to be around. Cade Cunningham is already a star, and the development of support pieces like Jalen Duren has been crucial to their uprising. Suffice to say, beating this team will be tough.

Injury Report

For the Bucks, Giannis (left adductor strain), Kevin Porter Jr. (right knee meniscus surgery), and Taurean Prince (neck surgery) are all out.

For the Pistons, Bobi Klintman (left ankle sprain) and Marcus Sasser (right hip impingement) are out, while Tobias Harris (right ankle sprain) and Jaden Ivey (return to competition reconditioning) are both questionable.

Player To Watch

Although Cade Cunningham is back now, his point guard understudy, Daniss Jenkins, has been going to work over recent weeks. This guy is currently on a two-way with the Pistons, but has averaged 20.2 PPG, 7.6 APG, and 2.0 SPG over the last five contests; that is wild for a two-way. I watched Jenkins dominate in the G league last year and knew he just needed a chance; well, he got that chance with Cunningham and Sasser injured, and he’s making the most of it. The Bucks must be prepared.