Bucks guard George Hill will remain sidelined for Game 2 of the team’s first-round series vs. Chicago on Wednesday due to an abdominal strain, tweets Jim Owczarski of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The injury, which Hill suffered on April 8, also kept him on the sidelines for Game 1 on Sunday.
As Owczarski relays, Bobby Portis (right calf bruise) and Jordan Nwora (back soreness) also showed up on the Bucks’ injury report for Game 2, but both are listed as probable and look like good bets to be active.
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Bucks center Brook Lopez was limited to just 13 appearances during the regular season due to a back injury, but he’s healthy at the right time and looks like he has fresh legs, writes Steve Megargee of The Associated Press. The resurgence of Lopez, who scored 18 points in a season-high 32 minutes in Game 1 on Sunday, makes the Bucks more dangerous on both ends of the court and gives them a size advantage vs. Chicago, according to Megargee.
- In his preview of the Pacers‘ offseason, ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Insider link) observes that the team must decide if it wants to continue rebuilding in 2022/23 or pivot back to competing for the playoffs. That decision will affect whether Indiana decides to retain or shop veterans like Malcolm Brogdon and Buddy Hield, Marks writes.
- The three players selected immediately after Cade Cunningham in the 2021 draft look like future stars, but Cunningham’s second-half performance on the court and the leadership qualities he displayed off of the court show that the Pistons made the right call with the No. 1 pick, says Rod Beard of The Detroit News (subscriber link).
Indiana should acquire as many assets as they can and try to strike gold in the draft like OKC.
Their future core is 22 and 20 right now. They add Keegan Murray or Jaden Ivey they’ll be looking pretty good.
They also have matching salaries and can afford to take a risk on a guy like MPJ or Ben Simmons, cash in chips for a John Collins. They can facilitate taking on salary for draft assets like Westbrook, Rozier, Hayward, Randle.
I think they are set up very well. in 3 or 4 years they could find themselves at or near the top of the East depending on how they draft and what trades they pursue.
Brook is the anchor of the Bucks’ defense. Everyone is a better defender with Brook backing them up. Size, wingspan, positioning and smart play (e.g., avoiding foul trouble) help him get the job done. Probably deserves more defensive accolades than he has received.
Love his story as well. To adapt his game that late into his career and becoming an elite role player as a 3 and D center after being the lynchpin of The Nets offense for 8 seasons as a post scorer and being labeled as soft on D.