It's that time of the year where the NBA season is just two months away, and after getting bits and pieces of notable dates in the calendar, we now have the official calendar for all 30 teams. Between marking dates of players returning to their previous teams, rivalry games, and matchups between superstars, there's a lot to keep a track of.
One of the intriguing teams to keep track of coming into the season is the Milwaukee Bucks. In spite of having to end the Damian Lillard era by waiving him after two uneventful seasons, and losing their center stalwart for seven seasons in Brook Lopez, they had a good offseason: they replaced Lopez with a better version at this stage in Myles Turner, kept key contributors in Bobby Portis, Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., Ryan Rollins (who has an opportunity to break out at the point guard position) and Taurean Prince, and got two guards from the Orlando Magic in Cole Anthony and Gary Harris.
All things considered, while the outlook long-term might be dire with the lack of cap space and draft capital they possess, for this season they're set up well to be a playoff team. That's in part because of the roster I've just referenced, and how they're schedule is laid out.
The NBA is counting on the Bucks to have a strong start
The Milwaukee Bucks only have two nationally televised games over their first 15 games. You might think that's an indictment on the confidence the league has on them. While that's one way to look at it, the other is the following: the league is setting them up with a runway to arrive to those marquee games strong.
Before their first primetime game against the New York Knicks on October 28, the Bucks start against the Washington Wizards (return of Khris Middleton to Milwaukee), Toronto Raptors, and Cleveland Cavaliers. That could very well be a 2-1 start playing against two teams that didn't make the playoffs last season. After that, they play 10 games before a rematch against the Cavs on November 17 that will be broadcast on Peacock. Out of those, half of them (Sacramento Kings, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, and Charlotte Hornets twice) are against non-playoff teams from last season, and one of the other playoff teams could be regressing (the Indiana Pacers with no Tyrese Haliburton).
Speaking of the Pacers...
There is major distrust in the Tyrese Haliburton-less Indiana Pacers against the Bucks
What was once a heated rivalry in a league were those are fewer and fewer is seemingly on ice, at least for this season. With Tyrese Haliburton out for all season, anything Indiana Pacers related will be on the back burner, especially in this matchup where he's been at the center of many moments between the two.
None of their four matchups this season are nationally televised. Besides their encounter on November 3 in Indiana, with Turner returning to play the franchise that drafted him and was his home for 10 years in spite of trade rumors for a long time, there's little confidence in these games producing fireworks like in the past two seasons. It's especially telling that Turner's return game is so early, as it's just Indy's seventh game.
Unless the Pacers are a surprise team and there's hard feelings over Turner's departure, this rivalry will be taking a one-season vacation.
Giannis will be all over National TV during the mid-season slog
It's no wonder the Bucks have to wait a while for their first game on National TV, as their mid-season stretch is filled with them.
Out of their 20 games between January and the All-Star Break in the middle of February, nine of them are on National TV, and most of noteworthy:
- January 7 at Golden State Warriors (Giannis vs Stephen Curry)
- January 13 vs Minnesota Timberwolves (Giannis vs Anthony Edwards)
- January 19 at Atlanta Hawks (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
- January 21 vs Oklahoma City Thunder (Giannis vs Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the defending champions)
- January 27 at Philadelphia 76ers (Giannis vs Joel Embiid)
- January 29 at Washington Wizards (your guess is as good as mine here, I have no clue)
- February 1 at Boston Celtics (Giannis in Boston against a team that's given him problems before)
- February 9 at Orlando (Giannis vs Paolo Banchero)
- February 12 at Oklahoma City Thunder (Giannis playing the champs at their home court)
In the moment where the season can slog, Giannis and the Bucks are being counted on to compete against teams that should be very good.
The Bucks are primed to close the season strong
If the Bucks struggle with elite teams and they have to secure a playoff spot down the wire of the season, their end-of-season schedule gives them a great opportunity to secure it.
While they don't have it gifted, as they have a six-game stretch at the end of March and beginning of April where they face the Los Angeles Clippers twice, San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics, two of their last four games are against the Brooklyn Nets, and their last game is against the Philadelphia 76ers, who could either be healthy and very good or injured and underwhelming.
While most of these teams are projected to be competitive, the Bucks could be at their level, which is why most of these games are winnable. In some cases, like with the Clippers, star players could be rested, which would give them a better chance to win.
All in all, there's a lot of trust in the new-look Bucks to be a team that makes noise, and is in the postseason dance in April.