The Milwaukee Bucks officially kick off their season on Friday in a highly-anticipated matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. For the first time, we will see Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard take the court for a regular-season contest. A new era is upon us.
The good news for Milwaukee supporters is that their entire supporting cast is expected to be available for their season-opener on Friday.
Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Adrian Griffin Expects Everyone to Play
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin announced that he expects every single player on the roster to be available against Philly. This comes via team beat reporter Eric Nehm of The Athletic:
“Bucks coach Adrian Griffin told reporters that everyone participated in today’s practice and that he anticipates that everyone on the roster will be available for Thursday’s season opener against the 76ers,” Nehm wrote in his tweet.
The biggest development here is the status of Khris Middleton, who returned to action for the first time since offseason knee surgery in the Bucks’ preseason finale last Friday against the Memphis Grizzlies. Griffin hinted that Middleton, who played just 12 minutes in his preseason debut, could be on some sort of minutes limit on Friday:
“We have to be smart. Going from 12 to 35 (minutes) is probably not a smart thing to do right now,” Griffin said of Middleton.
James Harden Won’t Be Available for Sixers
The Sixers, on the other hand, will be without former NBA MVP James Harden. According to reports, the want-away superstar has rejoined his team amid his current trade saga. However, he will remain in Philadelphia to “ramp up” his fitness after missing pretty much the entirety of training camp.
In spite of Harden’s incessant desire to jump ship, it appears that he will now start the season wearing a Sixers uniform. It remains to be seen when he will make his debut, though.
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