Pistons at Bucks preview: Detroit gets a taste of the new look Milwaukee team

The Pistons dispatched the Milwaukee Bucks at home on Nov. 3 with a 106-95 win. Andre Drummond lead the charge, scoring 24 points and collecting 12 rebounds.

But hold on folks, these Bucks aren’t your early November Bucks. Nope, your middle-of-November Bucks are drastically different since the trade that sent disgruntled point guard Eric Bledsoe from Phoenix to Milwaukee.

Bledsoe instantly becomes the best point guard Giannis Antetokounmpo has shared the floor with and brings an explosive skill set that was previously lacking in Milwaukee.

While Bledsoe is new to town, Milwaukee has certainly had its share of visitors. The French missionaries and explorers were traveling there as early as the late 1600's to trade with the Native Americans. In fact, "Milwaukee" is an Indian name pronounced "mill-e-wah-que," which is Algonquin for "the good land."

Party on Freak; Party on Bled.

Game Vitals

When: November 15th at 8 p.m. EST
Where: BMO Harris Bradley Center - Milwaukee, WI
Watch: Fox Sports Detroit (League Pass)

Analysis

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little disappointed Bledsoe didn’t end up in Detroit:

I get it, though, as the potential upside wasn’t worth risk.

With that said, the fit in Milwaukee is nothing short of compelling. Offensively, Bledsoe offers the Bucks a shifty, athletic point guard who can finish at the rim, distribute the rock and hold his own on defense:

Typically, a move of this magnitude requires some sort of awkward getting-to-know-you-phase but Milwaukee is 3-0 since the trade with wins on the road against the Spurs and at home versus the Lakers and Grizzlies.

If there is a loser of the deal, it seems to be reigning Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon. Poor guy went from PGOTF to unknown future (and especially so if Beldsoe flourishes).

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In the earlier meeting, Milwaukee knocked down 10-of-25 three pointers thanks to a number of open looks:

The Bucks continue to be one of the better long-ball teams.

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Milwaukee is dead last in rebounding with only slightly north of 38 total rebounds per game. However, don’t read too much into it. Much like Detroit and Stan Van Gundy, Jason Kidd demands his team to GET BACK on defense. The payoff comes by teams only scoring 6.6 fast break points per game against the Bucks which easily leads the league.

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Projected Lineup

Detroit

Reggie Jackson, Avery Bradley, Andre Drummond, Reggie Bullock, Tobias Harris

Milwaukee

Eric Bledsoe, Khris Middleton, John Henson, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Tony Snell

Stay tuned to the GameThread for injury and lineup updates

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Prediction

Stanley Johnson did about as good a job as one can ask of when defending Antetokounmpo (he still scored 29) and his injury will be felt. No worries though:

Pistons 104, Bucks 100