The Milwaukee Bucks entered the All-Star break with its three-game winning streak intact after beating the Sacramento Kings, 111-103, on February 11. The Bucks will look to sustain their momentum later tonight when they face the struggling Denver Nuggets.
Read on below for a preview of this intriguing showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our preview of the game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Washington Wizards here.
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Denver Nuggets vs. Milwaukee Bucks Betting Preview
The Denver Nuggets headed into the All-Star break feeling good about themselves as they snapped their six-game losing skid with a 106-96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on February 11. It was a morale-boosting win for the Nuggets who climbed to 10th place in the Western Conference standings with a 20-33 slate.
All hopes of Denver making a second-half push this season were dashed however when it dealt away Arron Afflalo and Javale McGee before the trading deadline expired. The Nuggets traded Afflalo and Alonzo Gee to Portland for Thomas Robinson, Victor Claver and Will Barton and a protected 2016 first-round draft pick.
[sc:NBA240banner ]JaVale McGee was then traded to Philadelphia for the draft rights to Cenk Akyol and cash considerations. Afflalo’s departure in particular was a bitter pill to swallow for the Nuggets faithful as he is one of the key offensive threats for Denver this season.
Afflalo averaged 14.5 points for the Nuggets through 53 games this season, the second-best mark in the entire team. McGee, whose salary will no longer weigh down the Nuggets’ rebuilding process, had averages of 5.2 PPG 2.8 RPG, and 1.12 BPG in only 17 games for Denver this season.
With reports now surfacing that Robinson (3.6 PPG, 4.2 RPG) is seeking a buyout from Denver following his trade to the Nuggets, it is no surprise that experts have listed Denver as one of the losers on trade deadline day.
With Afflalo’s offensive production now gone, the onus is on Ty Lawson and Wilson Chandler to pick up the scoring cudgels for the Nuggets. Lawson has been a vital cog in the Denver offense this season, leading the team not only in points (16.9 PPG) but also in assists (10.1 APG) as well.
His value to the team was pretty much evident in their last game against the Lakers, putting up season-high numbers of 32 points and 16 assists. Chandler contributed in that game as well, scoring 13 points and grabbing six boards. That’s close to his averages of 13.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
The Nuggets are 1-4 in their last five games on the road.
The Milwaukee Bucks sent shockwaves across the league Thursday when they traded away point guards Brandon Knight and Kendall Marshall to Phoenix for second-year guard Michael Carter-Williams, rookie guard Tyler Ennis and third-year center Miles Plumlee in a blockbuster three-team trade.
What makes the move so surprising for Milwaukee fans is that the Bucks are having a fantastic season so far this year. They entered the All-Star break with an impressive 30-23 slate, sixth-best in the entire Eastern Conference.
Playing a key part in their rise to the top of the team standings is Brandon Knight. He led the Bucks in scoring (17.8 PPG), assists (5.4 APG) and PER (18.5). He was also having the most efficient shooting season of his four-year career, drilling 40.9 percent of his three-point attempts and recording a 55.6 true shooting percentage.
Given Knight’s excellent numbers, the question on everyone’s mind is why did the Bucks’ top brass make such a drastic move? General manager John Hammond argued that the Bucks’ main priority is to become a championship-caliber organization and that their focus is to add pieces that can be long-term players for this team.
Consider the latter statement as mission accomplished for the Bucks as they received controllable assets on rookie contracts which follows Milwaukee’s long-term plan. Carter-Williams is under contract through 2017 while Ennis is under team control through 2018.
It will be hard replacing Knight’s offensive production but Carter-Williams will be a good enough replacement at the point guard position for the Bucks. As a member of the 76ers, Carter-Williams was averaging 15.0 points, 7.4 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game this season.
With Carter-Williams known more as a play-making point guard, this will also open countless possibilities for Khris Middleton, Jared Dudley, O.J. Mayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo to wreak havoc on the offensive end.
Another great development for the Bucks is the addition of Plumlee. Although his numbers are down from last season (4.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG), he will give much-needed depth to the Bucks’ frontline especially with the news that big man Larry Sanders is nearing a buyout with Milwaukee.
The Bucks are 5-0 in their last five games at home.
