Reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo leads the Milwaukee Bucks into an international showdown with the Charlotte Hornets tomorrow from Paris, France. As the league looks to continue to expand outward & grow its brand around the world, two of the league's "smaller" markets will have an opportunity to make a "big splash" on the international scale.
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Both teams come in on very different trajectories, as the Bucks currently own the league's best record, sitting at an impressive 39-6. They come in winners of 7 straight, and are 9-1 in their last 10 overall. Meanwhile, a promising start for a young Hornets squad has derailed a bit as of late. They come in losers of 7 straight, and are just 2-8 in their last 10, and sit at 15-30 overall - 4.5 games behind the Nets for the final playoff spot in the East.
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Antetokounmpo has been a monster once again, as he's looking to make it back-to-back MVPs. It's to tough to argue with the start he's had to the season, averaging 30 points per game, while grabbing just a hair under 13 boards per game, all while dishing out 5.6 assists per game, while adding a block and steal per game as well. He's also added a 3-point shot to his arsenal, and while he's far from a sharp-shooter, teams now at least have to respect his shooting ability, as he's averaging 1.6 made 3-point shots per contest, while shooting 32.2% from long-range, both easily career highs.
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The Bucks did an excellent job of adding depth to an already talented roster, while keeping the nucleus of last year's team that was within 2 wins of the NBA Finals in-tact. Brook Lopez and Kris Middleton returned, and the club added established veterans in Brook's brother Robin, long-time sharp-shooter Kyle Korver, and Wesley Mathews. Korver and Mathews can both shoot, and Mathews is a solid defender as well. The continued development & emergence of Donte DiVincenzo (8.9ppg) has also been a welcomed additional to the NBA's best team in 2019-20.
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On the other side, the Hornets were off to a relatively solid start, given how young the team is, and the off-season departure of the only star the team had in PG Kemba Walker to the Celtics. The emergence of second-year PG Devonte' Graham of Kansas has been a welcomed sight, and fellow second-year F Miles Bridges has also developed into a double-digit scorer and major contributor.
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Rookie PF P.J. Washington is off to a solid start as well, averaging over 12 points & 5 boards per game. Terry Rozier was the team's big off-season acquisition, as he grew frustrated with his role in Boston, and wanted the opportunity to lead a team himself. Rozier has responded by averaging a solid 17.9 points per game, while averaging 34 minutes per game.
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A young nucleus, that is still developing & growing together, believes the trip to Paris might just be the answer for the Hornets' recent woes. Meanwhile, the Bucks look to continue with their "business as usual" mindset, as they push on with their march toward what would be the franchise's first NBA Finals' birth since 1974.
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Here is a quick look at Friday's big international showdown between the Milwaukee Bucks & Charlotte Hornets from Paris, France:
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TEAM LEADERS:
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MILWAUKEE BUCKS (39-6) [1st in NBA]
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Giannis Antetokounmpo
30.0ppg, 12.9rpg, 5.6apg, 1.0bpg, 1.1spg
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Kris Middleton
19.5ppg, 5.7rpg, 3.9apg, 1.0spg
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Eric Bledsoe
14.8ppg, 4.5rpg, 5.1apg, 0.9spg
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Brook Lopez
10.1ppg, 4.7rpg, 1.6apg, 2.6bpg
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George Hill
9.8ppg, 3.1rpg, 3.0apg, 0.7spg
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CHARLOTTE HORNETS (15-30) [11th in Eastern Conf.]
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Devonte' Graham
18.6ppg, 3.6rpg, 7.7apg, 0.9spg
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Terry Rozier
17.9ppg, 4.3rpg, 4.4apg, 1.2spg
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P.J. Washington
12.6ppg, 5.5rpg, 2.0apg, 0.9bpg, 0.9spg
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Miles Bridges
12.1ppg, 5.4rpg, 1.8apg, 0.8bpg
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Cody Zeller
11.3ppg, 7.0rpg, 1.2apg
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PREDICTION:
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Despite the gulf between these two teams, the matchup has the potential for a great game. The Hornets are reeling, but feel a bit refreshed given this opportunity on the big stage. It's an exciting opportunity for a young team on a big stage that should have them plenty fired up. The Bucks have an opportunity to continue to grow their brand with Giannis leading the way, and certainly don't want to come up short with a chance to showcase their immense talent as the league's current best-team on the international stage.
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You have to like Giannis & the Bucks in this one, as the only previous meeting between these two this season ended in a 137-96 rout by the Bucks back on November 30th in Milwaukee. Since then, the Hornets have endured a 2-13 stretch that buried a somewhat promising 13-17 start to the season. Look for a competitive game at times, but for the Bucks to flex their muscle in the second half and pull-away with this one.
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MILWAUKEE 119 CHARLOTTE 104
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