The Milwaukee Bucks are in Oklahoma City for game two of their preseason campaign tonight. The Bucks fell to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a disappointing first outing where their lacklustre defence was put on full display, especially in transition. That said, the game also included some real positive flashes from Brayden Burries and Nate Ament, along with solid performances from Ryan Rollins and Kel’el Ware. Sure, the game was nothing to write home about—which is why I am writing all of you instead—but
it could have been a lot worse. Jenkins may still be in the phase of throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks tonight, but here’s to hoping we see this team start to find more of its footing.
The Task Ahead
Though not nearly the off-season shake-up that Milwaukee endured, Oklahoma City enters this year with some familiar faces gone: Isaiah Joe, Andrew Wiggins, and perhaps most notably, Lu Dort. This comes after falling in the Western Conference Finals to the San Antonio Spurs, so it stands to reason that this OKC team faces more questions than in previous years. Alex Caruso sensed this additional context and reassured reporters on Media Day that, “Fundamentally, we are still the Oklahoma City Thunder.”
While nobody can deny that the Thunder are still the benchmark, questions are warranted. To many fans, Dort felt like a key piece of their core—what do they look like without him? Between Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace, the Thunder certainly aren’t lacking on the wing, but Dort’s switchability is hard to replace. Of course, they may start the season 24-1 again and make everyone forget these questions, but regardless, the personnel change will be a storyline worth tracking for the Thunder all season long.
Even so, don’t expect many answers against the rebuilding Milwaukee Bucks, especially since there is no real guarantee we will see many, if any, of Oklahoma City’s starters. This will be their second night of a back-to-back, and despite resting many starters last night, OKC may still take a conservative approach, given they expect to be playing into June. Nevertheless, I am hoping to see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ryan Rollins battle.
Injury Report
As of this writing, the Milwaukee Bucks have no injuries to report. The Oklahoma City Thunder, as I just mentioned, took a very conservative approach last night, sitting damn near half of their roster. Does that mean a chunk of them play tonight? There’s a decent chance, according to Thunder coach Mark Daigneault: “We make our own preseason schedule, so the back-to-backs are actually by design. We’re not going to play everybody in every game. At least the high-minute rotation guys. We will play some guys five games, but the high-minute guys don’t play in every game.” So yeah, we can expect some Thunder starters to play against the Bucks, but don’t be surprised if some remain out.
Player to Watch
Ousmane Dieng was one of several DNPs on Monday night, which shouldn’t surprise anyone given how large the roster currently is, but after signing a new contract with the Bucks over the summer, many fans and I are eager to see what Dieng can do in year two. While still somewhat unproven, Dieng showed some enticing flashes last year: length and athleticism on the perimeter, secondary and sometimes primary playmaking, and the ability to shoot or finish near the rim. This season, we are all hoping that he can take that next step forward and become a solidified rotational player, and I’d love to see him get started tonight.
Projected Starters
Game Details
Who: Milwaukee Bucks (0-1) vs. Oklahoma City (0-1)
When: 7:00 p.m. CDT
Where: Paycom Center—Oklahoma City, OK
Watch: MY24
Listen: Check local listings
Prescient Prediction
We see more from Superman. Kel’el Ware played 24 minutes in the first preseason game and grabbed 12 rebounds. In game two, I think we’ll see the Kryptonian play more minutes and grab more rebounds: 15 boards, six of which come off the offensive glass.
