Bucks 2015-16 Schedule: Top Games, Championship Odds and Record Predictions
The Milwaukee Bucks have one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA, and there's no telling how far they might go in the weaker Eastern Conference in the 2015-16 season.
Milwaukee's schedule dropped Wednesday, and it can be viewed by clicking here, courtesy of the Bucks' official website. The team's championship odds are 50-1 on Odds Shark, but Milwaukee has bucked odds in the recent past.
Head coach Jason Kidd lost 2014 No. 2 overall draft pick Jabari Parker to a torn ACL last December and saw center Larry Sanders walk away from the NBA at around the same time. That didn't stop Kidd from reshaping his rotation well enough to lead the Bucks to the postseason.
Parker will be back and likely provide a big boost on his own. For all of the fascinating incumbents on this Milwaukee squad, high-profile free-agent acquisition Greg Monroe may be the biggest difference-maker to push the Bucks into the upper echelon of the East.
Read on for more detailed analysis of Milwaukee's biggest matchups of the upcoming season and a projection for the Bucks' final record.
Breakdown of Top Games
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Chicago Bulls
When: January 12, 2016 and April 3, 2016 (home); January 5, 2016 and March 7, 2016 (away)
Bucks point guard Michael Carter-Williams cannot ask for a much better mentor than Kidd to help him realize his full potential. After being stuck on a losing squad in Philadelphia, MCW can use his talents in a better situation.
Carter-Williams will need to come to play against Bulls counterpart Derrick Rose when Milwaukee faces off with Chicago in 2015-16. Another season should mean Rose is a bit healthier, more consistent and more confident on the knees that have failed him in the past.
Kidd sees a bright future for Carter-Williams, as he told ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk:
"He could be better [than me]. His athletic ability is probably better. He can pass the ball, makes his teammates better. The one thing for Mike is [playing] minutes and understanding time and score [in meaningful games] and understanding what makes this different than [a rebuilding project in] Philly? He is going to be fine. He is going to be a guy that is going to average over nine assists as he understands the system. I think he is going to be a great leader in this league.
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With as much attention as point guards get in the modern era filled with star power, the frontcourt battle will be the focus in this one. The Bulls figure to run a more uptempo style under new coach Fred Hoiberg with greater offensive potency.
With Monroe free to roam around at the 5 guarding the offensively limited Joakim Noah, he can help mark up Pau Gasol, whom the Bucks may not have a clear answer for.
Giannis Antetokounmpo can guard Jimmy Butler and bother him on the wing, but his bulked-up, 6'11" frame and tremendous length can also do a number down low.
After the Bucks bowed out in a hard-fought, six-game playoff series against the Bulls last year, it will be fascinating to see the tweaks Kidd makes and how he adjusts to a new brand of Chicago basketball.
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Boston Celtics
When: November 10, 2015 (home); February 9, 2016; February 25, 2016 and April 8, 2016 (away)
A showdown of the two most surprising playoff teams in the East this past season seems fitting, because it appears unrealistic to expect both to get into the postseason again.
The top of the East is solidified with the Cleveland Cavaliers as the favorite, but it's anyone's guess as to what will happen with the other seven spots. That's going to make these Bucks-Celtics clashes all the more vital.
It comes down to chemistry, which Kidd tinkered with well on the fly last season. This anecdote from Eric Buenning of BrewHoop.com shows how Antetokounmpo and underrated wing Khris Middleton were the only long-term holdovers from the 2014-15 starting five:
Boston played with the fastest pace in the East last season, per NBA.com, and Milwaukee was third.
Carter-Williams is accustomed to operating in a fast-paced team—even against the long odds of winning he faced in Philly. Not only will that help against Chicago, but it will also come in handy against the Celtics.
To put it simply, Boston doesn't have near the talent Milwaukee does—just the sheer willpower and genius of coach Brad Stevens. It's going to be a big test for Kidd as a still-developing, albeit promising, coach, revealing whether or not he can match wits with a masterful tactician.
The Bucks won the first two games in this series but lost at home to the Celtics in April. Their head-to-head matchups could have big playoff implications.
Record Prediction
Milwaukee's interchangeable parts feature numerous players who are young, explosive, raw and fascinating. It's a roster unlike any in the Association.
The Golden State Warriors blew away the West en route to an NBA championship by beating opponents with their quickness and smaller lineups.
What makes the Bucks so interesting is they may boast the same amount of athleticism while also having ridiculous length across the board. It starts with Carter-Williams running the point at 6'6"; Coach Kidd has the challenge and the privilege of trying to make it all work.
Whether everything jells together this season or takes a bit more time considering the youth the Bucks have remains to be seen. Given how well they adjusted when they traded Brandon Knight to land Carter-Williams, it's intriguing to wonder what Kidd could do with a stable roster.
There's more familiarity between Kidd and the Bucks organization as it is, which should make the job easier and streamline communications and decision-making. Antetokounmpo, Parker and Carter-Williams all figure to take big steps forward, while Monroe has to be thrilled to be out of Pistons purgatory.
On their current trajectory, the Bucks seem destined to at least post a winning record to improve from their 41-win campaign—and it figures to be by a considerable margin.
Record Prediction: 47-35
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