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The Milwaukee Bucks placed third in the NBA Eastern Conference in the 2020-21 NBA season and went all the way to the NBA Finals. They faced the challenge of going up against the Phoenix Suns in the Finals and took a 2-0 loss after the first two games of the series. The Bucks made a comeback, winning the next four games to clinch the championship title, and Giannis Antetokounmpo's stellar performance was rewarded with the 2021 NBA Finals MVP Award.
Mike Budenholzer and his boys will be looking to defend the title in the 2021-22 NBA season. Although the preseason results are not testament to what the regular season holds, the Bucks had a poor preseason run, losing four games and only managing a win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Milwaukee Bucks will hope to shake off preseason losses as they take on the Brooklyn Nets in a few days in their regular-season opener.
Three players who would stand out for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021-22 NBA season
The preseason games did not feature the core of the Milwaukee Bucks roster as the Big 3 did not participate for most of it. Their first fixture will give a glimpse of what is attainable going into the new season. Below are three players who would have a big impact on the team's success in the 2021-22 NBA season.
#1 Khris Middleton
Milwaukee Bucks assist leader Khris Middleton will yet be a big input for the Bucks in the 2021-22 NBA season. He was instrumental in the Bucks winning the championship as he registered the highest number of three-pointers made in the playoffs (60), closely followed by the LA Clippers' Reggie Jackson (58). He made the second-highest number of steals and third-best number of total points in the whole 23 games played.
He looked sharp during the preseason games he featured in and as expected had a huge impact. In the game against the Utah Jazz, Middleton recorded 25 points, five rebounds and three assists in 25 minutes played. He registered a field goal accuracy of 64.2, netting nine times from the field in 19 attempts while sinking in three three-pointers from four attempts.
#2 Jrue Holiday
Milwaukee Bucks point guard Jrue Holiday finished the previous season as the leader in steals in the playoffs, making a total of 38 steals. He also led in assists with 199 assists completed in the playoffs, helping the Milwaukee Bucks clinch their first title in 50 years. He also led the Bucks in steals during the regular season, placing second in assists and third in points, field goals and blocks.
Holiday featured in three of the five preseason games played by the Bucks. The point guard recorded eight assists in their final preseason fixture against the Dallas Mavericks, the most assists made by a player on either team. The one-time All-Star recorded a field goal of 50% in 12 attempts and made six rebounds. He will surely be a big asset to the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021-22 NBA season if he stays healthy and fit.
#3 Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Greek Freak will be the focal point for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021-22 NBA season as always, and his athleticism and dominant style of play will break defenses as we have seen more often than not. With the constant growth and development of his weaknesses, Giannis Antetokounmpo will most likely put up an MVP performance in the new season.
Antetokounmpo has shown over time his hunger to grow into a formidable player whose weaknesses become strengths. He seems to have worked more on his shooting, especially from beyond the arc as he netted two threes in two attempts in the preseason game against the Mavericks. He scored the most points by any player in the game (26), although the Milwaukee Bucks lost (103-114). Looks like we will be seeing the 2020 MVP make more shots from beyond the arc, which will add interesting depth to his game.
Guess the Lakers players!
