Milwaukee Bucks vs. Orlando Magic Preview: It’s Deja Vu All Over Again

NBA: Milwaukee Bucks at Orlando Magic — Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

We literally just did this!

How much of this can I copy/paste from the last preview I wrote for a matchup between the Milwaukee Bucks and Orlando Magic? Let’s find out!

Where We’re At

All of a sudden, the Bucks are fully reinforced, with Brook Lopez as the only player remaining on the injury report as of ~~Monday~~ Wednesday evening. While Lopez’s back surgery will remain hanging over Bucks fans’ heads like a dark cloud until he returns, Milwaukee faithful were delighted to welcome back Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bobby Portis, and especially Donte DiVincenzo on Saturday.

Okay, that’s not too far off for Milwaukee, though I suppose there may yet be fallout after one of the Orlando starters was removed from the game in the fourth quarter after entering the league’s health and safety protocols. This morning, Robin Lopez joined the list, and there’s no telling where it will end.

Orlando Magic center Robin Lopez has entered health and safety protocols, team says.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) December 30, 2021

There has been no indication yet that this will change anything for Milwaukee, but we’re also inside the 72-hour mark where any potential infection might still escape detection. There could be a reckoning on Friday or Saturday, or the Bucks could move forward unscathed. I don’t even know anymore. Caution reigns supreme for now (unless you’re the NBA, in which case you adhere to the C.R.E.A.M. paradigm.)

Player To Watch

Breaking news from the desk of Bobby POTUS : “My fellow NBA fans – I’m officially launching my campaign for All-Star 2022 and asking for your vote”! Retweet to vote @BPortistime for #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/FsdnHjWdPZ

— Bobby BP Portis (@BPortistime) December 30, 2021

No, Bobby Portis isn’t going to be an All Star, but it’s delightful to see his social media hustle match his on-court energy. There’s never a reason that Bobby shouldn’t earn your attention, but his scorching first half on Tuesday makes the anticipation of a possible encore all the more enticing. But where Portis is really interesting is on the defensive end, where he’ll never be confused for Brook Lopez but his mobility makes him an entirely different type of big, especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo backing him up to clean up any mistakes. Bobby’s continued evolution on that side may well increase how much Milwaukee can lean on him in the postseason.