Chicago Bulls vs Milwaukee Bucks Prediction: DeRozan is red-hot

The NBA Preseason is a jumbled-up world. Even the healthy players end up resting and the action level is toned down a bit for most parts. As we wait for the Regular Season, the preseason action is more like a scrimmage than anything at this point. The final roster cuts are almost there but deep bench warmers look to further their career. Anyway, in this Preseason game, the Chicago Bulls will take on the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bulls will be up for one of the biggest seasons in their Franchise. They made Playoffs with the core of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine but fell short as their defense was exposed by elite teams in the league. Without Lonzo Ball, they have been in disarray as they were hit in multiple departments without him. His injury has been serious and while he is recovering, there is no set timetable to return.

Generating offensive opportunities will be still a piece of cake with DeMar dipping in mid-rangers and opening up lanes while Zach LaVine can use his athleticism and shooting to pull apart defenses. Nikola Vucevic can be tough in the low block and high-post but his defense can be a bit iffy. Thus, a lot will ride on how Patrick Williams, Alex Caruso, and Ayo Dosunmu turn up. This season will be a big one for the team.

The Bucks remain a legitimate contender. They won the championship just a couple of seasons ago. And of course, their main gun is Giannis Antetokounmpo who is one of the best players in the world and is a terror when he drives to the rim. His two-way shenanigans make the Bucks an instant contender. However, without Khris Middleton, they were unable to get past the defense of the Celtics in last season’s Playoffs. Let us see when Khris returns from his injury.

Jrue Holiday who turned the team’s fortunes during the title run is going to be there and he will again play a huge role as a perimeter lockdown defender, playmaker, and strong scorer. With Bobby Portis and Brook Lopez, they have two solid bigs who can be problematic on both ends. The bench will depend upon Pat Connaughton’s production while starter Grayson Allen can get open looks with Holiday and Antetokounmpo dictating terms.

The Bulls have been riding the hot hand of DeMar DeRozan for around a year now but it is not the offense that has been the problem, it has mainly been their defense, which ultimately leads to rushed offense. On the other hand, the Bucks are much more tight-knit on the defensive end. Coming back to this game, I don’t know guys, it is preseason but I’d back the Bulls to come on top here.