NBA 2021/22 on Sunday, 27.02.2022
Shortly after the All-Star Break, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Brookyln Nets will face off in an NBA clash that, strictly speaking, is no longer an NBA clash. The guests have been in a steep decline for quite some time now!
Tonight there can only be one winner – and that is the defending champion! At least there is nothing in my Bucks Nets tip that would suggest that the New Yorkers could suddenly wake up from their deep sleep …
Maybe Kyrie Irving, who is playing with transfer intentions, will feel more like playing for the Nets again if he is allowed to play the other half of the games in the future. The point guard has not been allowed to play in the arena at home games in New York since the beginning of the season because of his vaccination status!
This regulation seems to be overturned now, but that already says everything you need to know about the more than predicament of the former bookmaker’s favourite to win the NBA title. To put it like the great Oliver Kahn: “We need balls”.
For Kevin Durant is the undisputed ringleader of the black and whites, who, however, will be out for a long time due to injury. But neither the now-departed James Harden nor the vaccine-averse Kyrie Irving have stepped up to fill that vacuum.
The Nets fans have been getting to see the receipt for the disharmony within the team on the floor for months now. And in the first game after the All-Star Break, Brooklyn once again lost to the Celtics (106:129).
Although Ben Simmons and Goran Dragic moved to the East Coast a few days ago, neither of them will be ready for the game against the Bucks. Consequently, the visitors will once again present us with a starting five interspersed with reservists.
James Johnson, Seth Curry and Kessler Edwards are the names we can read in New York’s starting line-up lately – and they are often not convincing. Not for nothing did the Nets lose eight of their last ten games.
The best player who will start for the visitors tonight is John Mills, who averages 13.2 points per game – for comparison: the best player for the defending champions averages 29.4 points per game.
Many NBA fans will know that this can only be Giannis Antetokounmpo! The fact that he is the best centre in the league would be problematic enough for the opponent, but since Brooklyn is currently suffering from a personnel shortage at the five, the consequences are downright fatal.
Kevin Durant is the regular number one at this position, but he will be replaced by Andre Drummond again tonight. But he is no obstacle for The Greek Freak.
By the way, we have already seen a showdown under similar conditions as tonight at the beginning of January – even if not on the miserable scale as it is currently the case.
At that time, Durant and Harden, two of the now defunct New York Big Three, were still on the floor. But even then Giannis Antetokounmpo stole the show on the other side.
The Greek scored 31 points in his Bucks’ 121-109 win and was the best player on the court. It is therefore not to be expected that the Nets will look better now compared to that night without Harden, Claxton and Harden.
This view is also shared by the sports betting providers, who are trading a Bucks win at odds of just 1.12! In their eyes, a green-white victory is a sure thing!
And indeed, I can’t imagine how these Nets are going to surprise us all. Consequently, the betting markets are offering extraordinarily high odds of around 5.00 for a New York win.
Conclusion: I believe that the Nets will bounce back in the coming weeks despite the many absences. That’s because Brooklyn made two stabilising trades in Ben Simmons and Goran Dragic, but they are still suffering from injuries at the moment.
Meanwhile, the Nets have lost eight of their last ten NBA games and a course correction will probably not be possible against this strong opponent. Especially since the visitors already lost to the Bucks in January with a much better line-up.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is a monster of a centre who should have no problems in the direct duel against Andre Drummond and will possibly produce close to 35 points and 10 rebounds.
My Bucks Nets tip: The home side with at least 8 points in front!
