A Possible Preview of the NBA 2024 Finals

The (32-14) Milwaukee Bucks take on the (32-15) Denver Nuggets on Monday night in Denver at the Ball arena, riding some good vibes after they delivered a “butt whooping” to the New Orleans Pelicans. Milwaukee won Saturday night at home (141-117). Denver is 18-4 at home. The Nuggets are favored to win this game by 5 points.

For Milwaukee Giannis might not play. 

The game will feature the two leading candidates for MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo (+900) and Nikola Jokic (+220).

This game should be a good one! This is the first time these teams have played this year. They will play again, in Milwaukee, in about three weeks.

Related: Why Giannis Antetokounmpo Can’t Wait for the Doc

Milwaukee Bucks Keys to Victory

Start of with better sets and defense (Welcome Doc)

This will be Doc Rivers first game as the new Head Coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. Will they get a bump of energy and enthusiasm with the new coach? What rotations will Rivers look to employ? 

Whatever happens, the time is now for this team. 

Related: Is there a Doctor in the House?

Keep Scoring Points

The Bucks are 2nd  in the NBA in scoring (124.4 points per game). Defensively they give up around 120 points per game, hence this sense that the defense isn’t very good.

In terms of field goal percentage Milwaukee is 3rd overall in the NBA (49.8%). 

Free throw shooting is looking like a weaker shooting spot for this team. Milwaukee is 17th in the NBA in terms of team free throwing shooting (78%). 

Against the Pelicans, Giannis, Dame, Bobby and Brook all went for more than 20 points. When you can spread your offensive production across four guys, that bodes well for everything you are doing. It’s also why they scored 141 points against New Orleans.

Milwaukee averages over 60.8 points in the first half in games this year. That’s 4th in the NBA. 

Tonight Milwaukee needs to keep scoring.

(Score continued) Keep shooting the three

The Bucks average 37.5 three point attempts a game. (Denver only averages 31 per game, third lowest in the NBA) The Bucks and their offense has an advantage here. Can they convert those attempts and really put pressure on Denver.

So who needs to make some threes? Dame could? Lopez just shot really well against the Pelicans (6-9 from three). Cam Payne was 3-4 against New Orleans. 

The Opponent: The Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets won last year’s NBA championship.

Denver has played well of late, winning seven of their last ten.

Nikola Jokic (aka The Joker) is the real deal. (Shooting 59.1 % from the field.) He leads Denver in scoring, rebounding and assists. The former second round pick (43rd overall) is really, really good. He is 13th in the NBA overall in scoring, 4th in rebounding and 4th in the NBA in assists. It usually is that amazing assists number that catches fans off-guard. He is 7 feet tall and 4th in the NBA in assists! Wow!

Related: Redrafting the 2016 NBA Draft

The Nuggets have a great head coach in Michael Malone. His system fits the team’s personnel. It puts an emphasis on dribble handoffs. The Bucks will also run dribble handoffs but not at the volume the Nuggets do. With Jokic at that “point forward” position, why not?

Jamal Murray is playing well for Denver and he has made a huge difference this season. Averaging just over 20 points a game he is the #2 complement to Jokic that makes the Nuggets go. 

Aaron Gordon is also having a good season for Denver. The former number 4 overall pick has really shot the ball well (58% from the field). 

But it is Michael Porter Jr. is really a wild card for this team. The super-talented small forward can really score. This season he has been playing more and more (31.2 minutes per game) and that has helped Denver to their 32-15 record.

The Nuggets are like the Bucks in that they are loaded with veteran talent. Kentavarious Caldwell-Pope, Bruce Brown and Jeff Green are not new to the NBA. 

Christian Braun was the Nuggets number one pick (20th overall) in last year’s draft. Picture AJ Green but two inches taller. He is a shooter.

Reggie Jackson Jr. will play. He is the team’s back-up point guard. The former Clipper adds some speed and play-making ability off their bench. 

Things to tell your buddies as you are watching the game

• Boston leads the NBA in scoring in the first half. However they are 20th in the NBA in scoring in the second half. 
• Milwaukee leads the NBA in second half scoring.

Jokic is listed as a true seven footer. He weighs 284 pounds. I have friends that weigh 284 pounds- they ain’t seven feet tall!

• Brook Lopez did not play so hot vs Denver last season, averaging 12.5 points per game and 0 blocked shots.
• Denver leads the all-time series vs Milwaukee 64-39. 

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