Milwaukee Bucks' Schedule Breakdown and Record Predictions for December
As the final month of the calendar year approaches, the Milwaukee Bucks are in a much better position than most would have thought they'd be when the season began. Not only that but, as Bleacher Report's Dan Favale recently pointed out, this team could still be relevant come playoff time.
In order for that to occur, though, the Bucks must navigate through a December schedule that sees them traveling to Cleveland to play LeBron James' Cavaliers two times in addition to a pair of matchups against the Dallas Mavericks.
Maintaining this quality start won't be an easy task but, with a young roster and a coach who has his own methods—including playing his bench at a staggering rate—this squad just might be legitimate.
And while the month of December certainly isn't a be-all, end-all, closing out 2014 will be very important moving forward.
With that said, let's follow suit and join Bango in taking a peak at what the Bucks face in the coming month.
Week 1 (Dec. 2 to Dec. 7)
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Weekly Schedule
Tuesday, Dec. 2: at Cleveland
Wednesday, Dec. 3: vs. Dallas
Friday, Dec. 5: vs. Miami
Sunday, Dec. 7: at Dallas
The Bucks will kick off the first week of December with a few games that will test whether they can consistently compete with some of the league's top talent.
Even though the Cavs haven't hit their stride yet, they have the league's best player in LeBron James and arguably the best power forward in Kevin Love.
Traveling to Quicken Loans Arena to compete against that kind of talent won't be an easy task, regardless of the fact Cleveland is still trying to hit its stride.
The next three games after that? Home games against the Mavericks and Miami Heat before traveling to Dallas on December 7 to finish out the week.
That's a tough four-game stretch for even the most experienced teams, so the young Bucks will have to be focused on playing their best basketball in order to escape the first week of December with a .500 record.
But with the confidence from an earlier win in Miami and the fact that they are 5-2 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, the Bucks should hold the home court and, at worst, walk away from this week 2-2.
Of course, with as good as Miami and Dallas are, Milwaukee could just as easily drop both games.
Weekly Win/Loss Prediction: 2-2
Week 2 (Dec. 8 to Dec. 14)
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Weekly Schedule
Tuesday, Dec. 9: at Oklahoma City
Saturday, Dec. 13: vs. Los Angeles Clippers
After a four-game week to start the month, things quiet down a little bit for the Bucks during the second week of December.
But though only two games are on the slate, things don't get any easier.
With the Thunder sitting at 4-12 due to being without the services of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, they're not a guaranteed loss on the schedule.
Reggie Jackson has done an admirable job of filling in at point guard by averaging 20.2 points along with 7.8 assists and has been the main catalyst on an offense that otherwise has struggled to score.
Along with Jackson, Serge Ibaka provides a challenge in the paint and will test the defensive abilities of Larry Sanders.
Still, the Bucks beat the Thunder earlier this month at home, so a win on the road against a depleted lineup should be within reason.
The second game of the week sees Milwaukee hosting the Clippers, who will provide much stiffer competition.
Blake Griffin and Chris Paul are two of the league's best at their position and will be a load to handle for Bucks defenders. And with excellent shooters such as Jamal Crawford and J.J. Redick waiting at the three-point line for kick-outs, Milwaukee's defensive rotation will have to be impeccable.
And even though the BMO Harris Bradley Center has been a tough place for opposing teams to play thus far, the Clippers might prove to be too much for the Bucks to handle.
Weekly Win/Loss Prediction: 1-1
Week 3 (Dec. 15 to Dec. 20)
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Weekly Schedule
Monday, Dec. 15: at Phoenix
Wednesday, Dec. 17: at Portland
Thursday, Dec. 18: at Sacramento
Saturday, Dec. 20: at Los Angeles Clippers
If the first two weeks in December weren't enough of a test for the Bucks, a four-game West Coast road trip during the third week will help determine whether this team is capable of competing with anyone.
As it currently stands, the Clippers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings have a combined record of 40-20 and have positioned themselves to compete for a playoff spot in the heated Western Conference over the first month of play.
Games against the Suns and Kings are winnable, with trips to Los Angeles and Portland being more difficult to walk away from victorious.
Certainly, though, the marquee matchup of this stretch for Milwaukee is the meeting with the Trail Blazers, who are led by former Bucks coach Terry Stotts.
The Blazers have won nine straight thanks in large part to the monstrous trio of Damian Lillard, LaMarcus Aldridge and Wesley Matthews. It will be imperative for the Bucks to be their best defensively if they hope to compete with one of the West's best.
Splitting this slate of games would be a major accomplish and something to be completely satisfied with.
However, with four games in five days, that might be asking a bit much.
Weekly Win/Loss Prediction: 1-3
Week 4 (Dec. 23 to Dec. 31)
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Weekly Schedule
Tuesday, Dec. 23: vs. Charlotte
Friday, Dec. 26: at Atlanta
Saturday, Dec. 27: vs. Atlanta
Monday, Dec. 29: at Charlotte
Wednesday, Dec. 31: at Cleveland
While technically longer than a week, the Bucks close out the calendar year with a stretch that features two games against the Charlotte Hornets, two against the Atlanta Hawks and a trip to Cleveland on New Year's Eve.
With two brutal weeks leading up to these final five games of 2014, this stretch features some games that are very winnable.
After making the playoffs last season, Charlotte will need to turn things around in a hurry if it hopes to once again compete in the postseason. If the seven-game losing streak the Hornets are currently on is any indication of things to come in December, the Bucks should win in Charlotte and back at home.
However, opening night against the Hornets is something Bucks fans would like to forget. The team blew a 24-point third-quarter lead and suffered a crushing defeat in overtime.
Both teams have moved in opposite directions since then, however, so the Bucks should be able to win both of these matchups.
In addition to those games, the Bucks' chances against Atlanta are favorable.
The Hawks are allowing 104.3 points per game—among the worst in the Eastern Conference—and that should help a Milwaukee team that is sometimes inconsistent with its scoring.
Closing out the year at Cleveland doesn't look as intimidating as it did when the schedules were released, but—as previously mentioned—the Cavs have a highly talented trio of talent and won't be an easy win, especially not in Cleveland.
Weekly Win/Loss Prediction: 4-1
Reviewing the Year's Final Month
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There's no denying that December is going to be a challenging month for a young team trying to prove its good start isn't a fluke.
And in order for it to be considered a successful month, all the Bucks have to do is go .500 to close out the year.
With a road trip taking them out West and a few games against James' Cavs, there are a lot of tough games on the schedule over the course of the next month.
Ideally, winning a few games that most people probably don't expect them to would make it an extremely successful end to 2014—assuming they win the games that they should—but, at this point, that would just be a bonus.
Even if you don't want to pencil the Bucks in for an upset win against the Trail Blazers, if they can take advantage of all the games they should, finishing off the year's final month with a winning record is feasible.
In fact, that's exactly how I think things will pan out.
December Win/Loss Prediction: 8-7
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