2. November 14 at Milwaukee
The Milwaukee Bucks were the best regular-season team in the NBA last season, and it’s not likely that much will change for them in the upcoming season. Yes, they lost Brogdon (a big loss), but they still have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton – the two most important players for the franchise.
Middleton will be on a mission to prove he’s worth the lucrative contract he signed this summer, and Giannis looks ready to destroy the league in a vengeful manner.
The Bulls actually have a decent defensive lineup to throw at Giannis. They can put Otto Porter Jr. on “The Greek Freak” and have Markkanen and Carter wall off the paint. The bad news is there’s no stopping Giannis. That just won’t happen. All the Bulls can hope to do is contain him.
So what does containing Giannis look like for the Bulls? Maybe instead of a 33-point, 15-rebound performance, he goes for 28 and 12? That’s still not going to be good enough to steal a win, especially on the road.
In November, Giannis and Co. will still be fresh off the offseason, and they’ll be ready to send a message to the rest of the league. Even if Chicago somewhat contains Giannis, there’s no way they come away with a W. The Bucks are simply too good to drop a home game against the youngsters from the Windy City.