LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo set to square off in marquee matchup between Lakers-Bucks
Player to watch: Brook Lopez
Although most of the attention will be on the return of Middleton, Lopez has been silently dismantling teams as he has been an assassin for the Bucks. He can be a physical presence on the low block and can run the pick-and-pop as well as the high pick-and-roll to perfection. He can make shots from midrange or he can light it up from behind the arc.
He has also been a beast on the defensive end as he leads the league in blocks averaging 2.7 per contest. Lopez is a talented player who makes things a whole lot easier for his teammates as they tend to feed off the energy he brings while opponents focus on stopping Antetokounmpo. Lopez is often the forgotten man and can efficiently affect the game on both ends.
Prediction
There will be three legit MVP candidates on the floor and three former MVPs so this has the makings of a very entertaining game. Can LeBron and AD keep the Lakers on the right track against one of the best teams in the league? Or will the Bucks be too much to handle in Middleton’s debut?
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With the Lakers’ ongoing shooting woes, it will be difficult to overcome the Bucks smothering defense so we can expect LeBron and company to keep this one close until late in the 2nd half as Antetokounmpo and his supporting cast will prove to be too much for the Lakers to handle.
The Bucks pull it out 111-96.