National Basketball Association

Milwaukee Bucks Game Preview: Oct. 30 at Detroit Pistons

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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The Milwaukee Bucks got their first win on Saturday, but can they travel to Detroit and handle the Pistons the very next day?

Mar 21, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks center Greg Monroe (15) backs into Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) during the fourth quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons win 92-91. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Bucks did not look amazing per se on Saturday night against the Brooklyn Nets, but they did get the win on a dramatic John Henson put-back with one second left.

After the Bucks first game, they’ll take what they can get in terms of wins! Milwaukee did have an advantage in that game: the Nets were on the second night of a back-to-back, and they had to travel between the two games.

That’s the same advantage the Detroit Pistons will have on Sunday. The Bucks needed all 48 minutes to handle Brooklyn on Saturday, and they’ve got an early evening game against the Pistons well under 24 hours later.

The Pistons haven’t played since Friday, when they got a big win over the Orlando Magic to improve their record to 1-1. That was a home game for Detroit, so they’ve been settled and ready for this game.

Will that advantage prove too much for the Bucks to overcome, or can they pull off another win just one night after their first one?

We’ll go through the major keys to victory for both teams, look at a player to watch in this one, and then finally make our predictions!

Oct 12, 2016; Evansville, IN, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward John Henson (31) drives on Indiana Pacers defenders at Ford Center. Mandatory Credit: James Brosher-USA TODAY Sports

Major Key For Milwaukee: Keep Playing Henson

Milwaukee Bucks fans are going to be most excited about Rashad Vaughn‘s breakout game from last night, but John Henson was brilliant as well. He was clutch, hitting the game-winner after a missed Jabari Parker lay-up.

He was good besides just hitting that one shot though. Henson ended up getting more minutes than either Miles Plumlee or Greg Monroe, and he made the most of them.

In just 21 minutes of action, Henson recorded seven points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks. Monroe has looked good in his time this season, Plumlee has not.

Henson, though, looked exceptional in the game against the Nets on Saturday. Maybe it’s time he got a chance to seriously start games. Either way, the Bucks would do well to play him more, especially against another massive, long-limbed center in Andre Drummond.

Henson was great on the defensive boards against the Nets, and the Bucks need somebody serious manning the middle against Drummond. His rebounding is the strongest part of his game, and he’ll grab a ton of boards if there’s a poor rebounding center across from him.

Mar 25, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond (0) drives to the basket against Charlotte Hornets center Al Jefferson (25) during the third quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Pistons win 112-105. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports

Major Key For Detroit: Win On The Boards

The Detroit Pistons need to be good at rebounding. Stan Van Gundy built the Pistons around their best player, Andre Drummond, and his best skill, which is rebounding.

Van Gundy surrounds Drummond with shooters and scorers and lets them work, while leaving Drummond down low to scoop up misses and reload the Pistons offense. When Detroit doesn’t grab rebounds, they lose.

The Pistons dropped their first game against the Toronto Raptors, 109-91. Drummond grabbed six rebounds, and Detroit got out-rebounded 51-40.

When the Pistons won their second game, against the Orlando Magic, Drummond got 20 boards. The Pistons recorded 53 rebounds, whereas the Magic grabbed just 44.

If the Pistons dominate the Bucks on the glass on both ends, they’ll have a really good shot at winning. If Milwaukee can man up and even simply match Detroit’s rebounding efforts, the Bucks should be in this game with a chance to steal a win on the road.

Oct 28, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (34) drives to the basket as Orlando Magic forward Serge Ibaka (7) defends during the third quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Player To Watch: Tobias Harris

Andre Drummond has been doing Detroit’s work on the boards, but in Reggie Jackson‘s absence Tobias Harris has been the one putting the ball in the basket for the Pistons. Harris is trying to prove both the Bucks and Magic wrong for trading him.

More from Behind the Buck Pass

He dropped 18 on Orlando on Friday, and he might try to surpass that against the Bucks. Harris has been fantastic through two games, and the Pistons have needed him to be without Jackson in the lineup.

Harris is averaging 20 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game thus far. He’s shooting 55.2 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range.

The tough part for the Bucks will be deciding who defends him. Giannis Antetokounmpo could pick him up, but then Marcus Morris will get the easier match-up of Jabari Parker. Detroit’s forwards are largely interchangeable–Van Gundy flips them routinely based on the opposition.

Oct 17, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons forward Tobias Harris (34) during the third quarter at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

Finale

The Detroit Pistons were supposed to be very good this season. Lots of analysts are high on the Pistons, and for good reason. There’s a lot of talent on this team, and Van Gundy is a terrific coach.

Without Reggie Jackson leading the way, a lot of Pistons optimism has faded for the moment. These early games are important for Detroit. There’s a path for this team that could result in the Pistons hosting a first round playoff series.

Expect Van Gundy to throw everything Detroit has at the Bucks on Sunday. This becomes a much more winnable game without Jackson on the other team, but Drummond and company are no cakewalk even without him.

Predictions and Leaderboard:

Ti Windisch: Pistons by 8 — 2-0, 7 point differential

Lukas Harkins: Pistons by 7 — 2-0, 14 point differential

Tim Wray: Pistons by 9 — 1-1, 20 point differential

Jordan Treske: Pistons by 13 — 1-1, 26 point differential

Tom Pheister: Bucks by 2 — 1-1, 28 point differential

Adam McGee: Pistons by 4 — 1-1, 30 point differential

Adam Coffman: Pistons by 6 — 1-0, 12 point differential

Rohan Katti: Pistons by 5 — 1-0, 14 point differential

The game is on Saturday night at 5 p.m., and will be televised on Fox Sports Wisconsin.

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