Starters given a day of rest
Bench players get extended audition
OKLAHOMA CITY - The preseason is a time for NBA teams to figure out their rotations and get their top guys into a good rhythm with each other. It’s also a time to gauge the strength and depth of the roster, including among the guys who are fighting to make their way onto the team.
Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer opted for the latter type of assessment Tuesday night in Oklahoma City as he decided to rest five rotation players -- Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe, Brook Lopez and Ersan Ilyasova -- in favor of getting the remainder of his players some extra run to show what they can do.
“Sometimes in a preseason game instead of playing them a few minutes or limited minutes, I think we just decided let’s get a great workout this morning, try and get their conditioning a little bit this morning (and) play some of the guys that have been working hard that maybe haven’t gotten to play as much and give them an opportunity to see how they play,” Budenholzer said. “It’s just kind of a win-win for everybody.”
After keeping pace with the Thunder’s starters for a quarter, the Bucks fell behind by as many as 12 points in
the third quarter before rallying back in the fourth. Tim Fazier, who didn’t play until the second half, capped the comeback by sending the game to overtime with a three-pointer with 0.9 seconds left. The game finished too late for this edition.
Christian Wood, who has had a strong preseason as he fights for the Bucks’ last roster spot, played a central role in Milwaukee’s fourth-quarter comeback attempt. Following a quiet first half in which he scored just two points and struggled to make an impact against Oklahoma City’s starters, Wood turned things up in the second half to finish with 19 points and 14 rebounds, including 11 fourth-quarter points.
However, Wood also figured in on the wrong end of a couple plays at crunch time. With the game tied an under a minute left, Wood fouled Milwaukee native Deonte Burton on a drive and Burton put the Thunder ahead by one at the line. Then, with the Bucks down three, Wood lost the ball as he drove the lane.
Overall, though, Wood put forth a positive performance. Playing at the power forward position often next to Tyler Zeller in the middle, Wood displayed good strength and physicality on the boards while also using his athleticism to drive inside for dunks. Defensively, he added three blocks and seemed comfortable defending players of various sizes.
Zeller, an incumbent on the Bucks roster whose non-guaranteed contract has him fighting to keep his job, also took advantage of the opportunity to get more minutes Tuesday. After playing a total of 16 minutes in the opening two preseason games, Zeller started and logged 29 minutes -- the same as Wood -- in Tuesday’s loss.
Matched up against Oklahoma City center Steven Adams in the first half, Zeller held his own and got off to a hot start with 8 first-quarter points, including a pair of three-pointers. He finished with 17 points, six rebounds and three assists, including a late layup and a pair of free throws in the final minute.
Among the other two Bucks roster hopefuls, Frazier put up 11 points on 4 of 5 shooting, including making all three of his three-point attempts, in regulation. Shabazz Muhammad hadwith eight points on 3 of 9 shooting in 25 minutes.
Malcolm Brogdon, the lone Bucks starter who wasn’t held out to rest, had 12 points and seven assists in 22 minutes and rookie Donte DiVincenzo added 12 points of his own.
Ramping up: It’s unlikely that anyone wuld look at Antetokounmpo and say the 23-year-old is out of shape. The 6-foot-11, 242-pound Bucks star is a chiseled, dynamic athlete -- hardly the image of someone who isn’t physically fit.
But ask the man himself and he’ll share a different opinion.
“I’m kind of tired after games now, but I just have to get myself in better shape. That’s how I feel,” Antetokounmpo said. “The last game against Minnesota I told coach I got to play more because I want to get in shape. He told me, ‘Giannis, you’re in great shape.’ I’m like, ‘Not for me. For what I can do I’m not.’ I know when I’m in great shape.
“Especially with the offense we’re going to run, now I don’t want to just go through the motions. I want to be aggressive. I want to be out there dominating plays, being able to go for the offensive rebound and be the first guy back to block the shot.”
Antetokounmpo’s outlook is colored by something he heard from LeBron James last year. That’s when, after the opening game of the season, James asserted that he was “very out of shape for my expectations.” Antetokounmpo heard that and couldn’t believe it, but as he watched James over the next few days and weeks and started to understand what he meant.
For James to be at his best, he needs to be able to do everything on the court night after night. That means it’s not enough to be in shape, rather, he needs to be in exceptional shape. That’s what Antetokounmpo is aiming to do himself this season.
“Probably I’m around 60, 65%,” Antetokounmpo said. “I’m not close, but I’m going to get there.”