Folks, tonight marks a landmark moment for the Milwaukee Bucks: their first official game—against the revamped Washington Wizards—without Giannis Antetokounmpo on the roster in 13 years. 13 years. It’s been one hell of a ride—culminating in a title, of course—but all good things must come to an end. And as that era ends, another begins, starting tonight in the nation’s capital.
Preseason has come and gone—with the Bucks going 2-3 in their five games—so we now have a (somewhat) clearer idea of what to
expect. We know Taylor Jenkins emphasises defensive intensity and rebounding as his main pillars, but with the team so new, there is still a lot to learn—and that’s the exciting part. Obviously, it’s a very young squad, so there will be some great moments and some not-so-great ones, but overall, if the vibes are good and the intentions are right, I think most fans will be content.
As for tonight, I think it will be a great measuring-stick game. The Wizards are improved, yes (I mean, they have to be to some degree, since they are actually trying to win basketball games now), but they are not the Thunder or the Spurs; this is a new team trying to integrate many different players who may have many different motivations. If the Bucks play selfless basketball and stick to the game plan, they can win.
The Task Ahead
There’s something poetic about the Bucks—a team just entering a rebuild—opening their season against the Wizards—a team just exiting a rebuild. And yeah, the Wizards have lost a lot since Will Dawkins and Michael Winger took over and declared that Washington would no longer be riding the hamster wheel of mediocrity. Dawkins and Winger cut the dead wood, went into full development mode, and attacked the draft (which, yes, included a mandate to tank, and tank hard).
Over the past three seasons, the Wizards have a combined 50-196 record. Woof. But of course, teams tank to put themselves in a position to draft franchise cornerstones, and the Wizards—while they did draft at two in 2024, taking a solid player (Alex Sarr) in a middling class—still hadn’t found theirs heading into last season. This made last season’s tank, ahead of what most experts labelled an elite draft class, one of the most important years in Wizards history. They lost their way to the league’s worst record (17-65) and finally got some lottery luck in a loaded class, drafting the precocious AJ Dybantsa—who is out tonight with an ankle injury—as the final piece of their rebuild.
But of course, Dybantsa isn’t the only major addition the Wizards made. This team has quickly become filled with stars of yesteryear. Washington traded for Trae Young midway through last season and, as I’ll get to, subsequently inked him to a gargantuan deal that will probably age like milk in the sun. Anthony Davis, I’m assured, now also plays for the Wizards. Heck, even Deandre Ayton is here! And of course, I can’t forget Bucks legend Khris Middleton, who returned to Washington after the Wizards dealt him to the Mavs—as part of the Anthony Davis trade, funnily enough—at last season’s deadline. Jokes aside, although these guys no longer live up to their once-lofty reputations, they are still good players who should be nothing but additive to Washington’s talented young core.
Injury Report
Bucks:
- Nate Ament: probable (ankle)
Wizards:
- AJ Dybantsa: out (ankle)
- Tristan Vukcevic: out (hip)
- Jamir Watkins: out (knee)
Player to Watch
Trae Young. Once a heralded star in the league, Young is looking to prove he’s still that guy after his stock dropped precipitously over the last few years—so much so that Atlanta dealt him to Washington for a bag of chips before they had to pay him. The Wizards, on the other hand, clearly believe in the 28-year-old more than the Hawks did, given that they extended him on a fully guaranteed four-year deal worth $212m. Yikes. Regardless, Young—someone who has given the Bucks fits going all the way back to their title run—still has the potential to be a gamebreaker. Milwaukee’s defence needs to make him play in crowds and keep him out of the paint; if he tries to score one-on-one, the defence has done its job. Neutralising Young will also go a long way toward neutralising Anthony Davis.
Projected Starters
Game Details
Who: Milwaukee Bucks (0-0) vs. Washington (0-0).
When: 6:00 p.m. CDT.
Where: Capital One Arena—Washington, D.C.
Watch: MY24.
Listen: Check local listings.
Prescient Prediction
Some of us have been speculating (hoping) that Tyler Herro was taking it easy in the preseason and that he’d play with more vigour once the real thing started. Well, the real thing is here, and I’m going to stick my neck out and say he has a really good game. Maybe except for Bilal Coulibaly, the Wizards don’t really have defenders who can bother Herro, so I think this matchup gives him a chance to feast a little and announce himself as a Buck. I’m talking 27 points, five assists, efficient shooting.
