Day 2 of the 2020-21 NBA preseason will feature a handful of intriguing match-ups, including one between the Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks.

Though we’re not likely to see superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic play heavy minutes, it should be enough to get our basketball juices even more pumped for NBA action.

Catch this game tomorrow, December 13, at 9:00 AM, Manila time.

The Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks are currently hounded by a trending question about Giannis Antetkounmpo’s future. The two-time reigning league MVP still hasn’t signed the team’s supermax deal, and it will expire in 10 days.

While anxiety is in the air, though, the potential bright side is that his teammates might come out with guns blazing as a way to show him that the group is good enough to help him win a championship.

Since we’re only in preseason stage, keep a bigger eye out on the second unit. Yes, we’ll probably see Giannis’s co-starters – Khris Middleton and new point guard Jrue Holiday, among others – but for now, guys like Donte Divincenzo and DJ Wilson could be the most featured, including newcomers Bryn Forbes and Bobby Portis.

Among the four, Divincenzo may be the biggest contributor as he’s seen the most minutes in the rotation. He averaged 9.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game last season on 23.0 minutes of action, which converts to 14.4/7.5/3.6 in per 36 splits.

The Dallas Mavericks

It’s an exciting time to be a Mavericks fan. Luka Doncic is a bona fide superstar, the cast had reinforcements, and the future is looking brighter than ever. The good challenge they gave against the LA Clippers in the 2020 playoffs should prove to be a big lift.

But, of course, given the aforementioned setting, Doncic isn’t expected to see much action – his right hand man, meanwhile, Kristaps Porzingis, will be out nursing an injury. Regular starter and third leading scorer Tim Hardaway Jr., may likely see limited minutes as well.

With that, the new and young guys are on the spotlight to boast their true worth on the team, namely new Mav Josh Richardson, third-year back-up PG Jalen Brunson, and rookies Josh Green and Tyrell Terry.

The two first-year pros are both reliable options in the college rank last season, with Green being an elite defender (led Arizona in steals) and Terry being an outside threat (62 threes, 40.8 3FG%).

PREDICTIONS:

Expect both teams to dig deep in their bench as the second and third units are always relied upon more in the preseason. The Bucks, however, appear to have a slight upper hand as they are at home, and have more established players. As mentioned earlier, they could be more eager to show out due to the Giannis stuff and the frustrating exit in the 2020 postseason. Milwaukee should be able to win this, 108-99.