It was a rough debut for the Golden State Warriors. One of the worst teams in the NBA last year looked more than a little rusty against former teammate Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets, losing 125-99 in the season opener on Tuesday. Things won’t get any easier on Christmas as Golden State heads to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks. Milwaukee has yet to play this season, but the Bucks will play their first game against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.
This will be the second game of a Christmas Day quintuple header on Friday, December 25, at 2:30 p.m. ET. It will take place at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with ABC broadcasting the game.
NBA Opening Lines at BookMaker.eu
Golden State Warriors +9
Milwaukee Bucks -9
Total: 233.5
Injury Report
Golden State suffered a huge blow last month when it was announced Klay Thompson would miss the entire 2020-21 season due to a torn Achilles tendon. Thompson is a big part of the Warriors’ plans, and he will now miss two straight seasons after tearing his ACL in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals against the Toronto Raptors.
The Warriors might be without Draymond Green as he is currently listed as day-to-day with a foot injury, while Alen Smailagic is also seen as day-to-day.
D.J. Augustin signed with Milwaukee in the offseason after being a part of the Orlando team that lost to the Bucks in the first round of the bubble playoffs. Augustin had hoped to play a key role as a rotation player, but he hurt his calf and may miss the first couple games of the new season.
Game Preview
Steph Curry did not have a great season opener against the Nets. Curry was 7-21 from the floor, going just 2-10 from beyond the arc. He still led the Warriors with 20 points and 10 assists compared to just three turnovers, but it’s clear that opponents are going to focus on him in order to force his teammates to make shots. That won’t change even if Green returns to the floor, as Green is not a real offensive weapon.
Things might change if rookie center James Wiseman looks sharp though. Wiseman had an impressive debut, going 7-13 from the floor and tallying 19 points as Golden State’s second-leading scorer against Brooklyn. The Warriors certainly need a second scoring option without Thompson available, as it doesn’t look like Andrew Wiggins will be the guy. Wiggins went 4-16 and with just two rebounds and one assist while turning the ball over four times against Brooklyn on Tuesday.
Milwaukee won the offseason by re-signing Giannis Antetokuonmpo to a long-term extension. Antetokuonmpo and the Bucks agreed to a five-year supermax deal worth $228.2 million last week, ensuring that the NBA’s most talented player will stay with Milwaukee for the foreseeable future. This team is favored to win the Eastern Conference once again with him leading the way, and the two-time NBA MVP is hoping the third time is the charm.
The Bucks acquired Jrue Holiday in a four-team deal last month. Holiday gives Milwaukee a real distributor and playmaker at the point, and it also got the Bucks out from under Eric Bledsoe’s contract. Holiday has averaged 19.0 PPG for the last three years and 6.0 APG for the last eight years, and he can be even more valuable if he improves his three-point shooting.
That acquisition should help Khris Middleton too. Middleton was having an excellent 2019-20 campaign before the COVID postponement. He had some issues in the bubble, and Holiday will take some of the pressure off his shoulders.
Prediction
Milwaukee might be a double-digit favorite in this game after what we saw from Golden State on opening night, and the Bucks have a decent chance of getting the cover.
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