NBA Preseason Primer: Tuesday, October 9th

by Allan Lem (fathalpert) Last Updated 2018-10-09 22:36:09 Premium Content Part of the product SimLabs+

Hello Grinders. Before we break down the slate, be sure to leverage the projections in LineupHQ, discussions in the RotoGrinders Discord chat and the Court Report live blog each weekday by SBK. The way I would approach NBA preseason is to use this article as a primer for the day and then rely on the Court Report if you can for the latest news right before tipoff. If you’re interested in learning more about what’s available or want to sign up, you can find information here.

We only have a two-game slate tonight, so I would consider not going too heavy on these games.We have some massive slates on Wednesday and Friday, so there will be plenty of time in the near future to get your fix.

Feel free to give me a follow on Twitter. Let’s dive in!

Milwaukee Bucks vs Oklahoma City Thunder

Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks have two more remaining preseason games, including this one. There’s a good article here about what the Bucks are trying to accomplish in these final two games. Here’s an excerpt:

“The Bucks are using their two-game Midwest swing as a chance to both familiarize themselves with Budenholzer’s way of doing things as well as to further build chemistry heading into the regular season.”

Matthew Dellavedova was a full participant in practice on Monday and is expected to make his preseason debut. As of Monday night, I haven’t seen anything regarding expected minutes for the starters or any other changes. This is probably a spot we need to monitor on Tuesday to see what the beat reporters say. I highly recommend following Matt Velazquez on Twitter as he’s the main Bucks beat writer.

Assuming the starters continue getting regular preseason minutes, we have to prioritize Giannis Antetokounmpo, who played 27 minutes in their last game and went 21/10/2 with 2 steals and a block against the Timberwolves. Khris Middleton had a 13/4/3 line in 27 minutes and Eric Bledsoe had an off-game, finishing with just 7 points and 3 assists over 25 minutes. Middleton will probably draw Paul George in this matchup so I’d much rather prioritize Giannis and Bledsoe over Middleton in this spot.

Coach Budenholzer is continuing to have the Bucks shoot 3’s, and they are launching. They took 36 attempts in their last game, which is a lot considering they averaged just 24.8 per game last season, which ranked 25th in the NBA. Every starter took at least three attempts last game, with Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton pacing the team with five each. I do think Lopez on a site like DraftKings is interesting, but I’m concerned about his low minutes total. He’s only played 15 and 18 minutes through their first two games and hasn’t scored in double-figures yet. He’s nothing more than a GPP dart throw on this slate.

In order to fit in the studs, you’ll likely need to jam in some value on the second unit. My favorite options on the Bucks are rookies Donte DiVincenzo, John Henson and Christian Wood, in that order. DiVincenzo has played 20 minutes in each of the first two games and is averaging 10.5 shots per game, so he’s not afraid to chuck it. Henson is useful for his block upside, while Wood got an extended look in the last game with 21 minutes.