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| Ersan Ilyasova had a memorable 29-point, 25-rebound effort in a win against the Nets last season. At least he's not starting tonight (for some reason I don't understand) |
When: 6:00 pm; Sunday, December 9th, 2012
Where: Barclays Center; Brooklyn, NY
TV: YES Network
To say that the Milwaukee Bucks have been a thorn in the side of the Nets in recent memory would be an understatement. The Bucks have beaten the Nets–the New Jersey incarnation of course–the least 11 meetings, a streak that Avery Johnson would certainly love to snap. Another streak the Nets want to end tonight is their season-high three-game losing streak, one starting last Saturday in Miami against the Heat. Prior to this stretch of poor play, Brooklyn's previous long string of consecutive losses only hit two games at its acme.
Milwaukee may only be coming into tonight's game with a 9-9 record, but they are undoubtedly dangerous, eve more so against a bad perimeter defense team like the Nets. Monta Ellis, whom Milwaukee got in return for Andrew Bogut last trade deadline, and Brandon Jennings are two point guards who can really extend the defense with their jump-shooting capabilities. However, they aren't the most efficient shooters, as they tend to clog up Milwaukee's offensive rhythm with horrendously low-percentage shots. Ilyasova–mentioned above–is surprisingly coming off the bench this season, which brings some depth and explosiveness to the Bucks' reserves.
Milwaukee also some size on its roster that may cause trouble for the Lopez-less Nets. Forwards like Ekpe Udoh, John Henson, and Larry Saunders are all relatively young pieces whose absurd athleticism allow them to block a ton of shots down low, rebound very well, and control the paint. Reggie Evans, inserted into the starting lineup in place of Kris Humphries, and Andray Blatche will have to be physical with them tonight to be successful. We may also seem some Mirza Teletovic off the bench to give Brooklyn some size to contend with Milwaukee's bigs.
Probable Lineups
MIL- Jennings (PG), Ellis (SG), Daniels (SF), Udoh (PF), Sanders (C)
NETS- D-Will (PG), Joe Johnson (SG), Wallace (SF), Evans (PF), Blatche (C)
Final Thoughts
If the Nets are to be a legitimate Eastern Conference contender, they have to beat up on the lesser teams in the league. Milwaukee is one of them.
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