Bucks Nightly

Last season's numbers point to Herro and Rollins. Herro averaged 20.5 points in 33 games last season and shot 37.8 percent from three. Rollins played 74 games, averaging 17.3 points and 5.6 assists and shooting 40.6 percent from deep. Jaquez gives the Bucks a third creator. He averaged 15.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists last season. He was the only player in this group with a positive plus-minus, at 1.9. Kuzma added 13.0 points per game. Green is the floor spacer. He shot 41.9 percent from three in 78 games last season. Cormac Ryan is the wild card. He averaged 14.3 points and shot 45.8 percent from three last season, but he played only 11 games.

Defense is the number to watch. Milwaukee went 32-50 last season with a defensive rating of 118.3 and an offensive rating of 112.2. That left a net rating of -6.1. Turner and Ware are now the core of the frontcourt. Turner averaged 11.9 points and 5.3 rebounds last season and shot 38.3 percent from three. Ware averaged 9.0 rebounds in 22.1 minutes and hit 39.5 percent from deep, so both bigs can stretch the floor. Sims is the traditional option. He averaged 5.5 rebounds last season and did not make a three. Ousmane Dieng and Pete Nance add depth at forward. Last season the Bucks played at a pace of 98.3 and averaged 110.6 points per game.

The Bucks went 2-3 in their last five games before the opener, and the results were uneven. They won at Oklahoma City 128-126 on Oct. 7 and won at Indiana 128-127 on Oct. 16. Both wins came down to the final margin. The losses were less close. Charlotte held Milwaukee to 90 points in a 105-90 win on Oct. 11. Chicago won 125-104 at Fiserv Forum on Oct. 14. The last tune-up was a 128-116 loss at Washington on Oct. 21. The Bulls are the opening-night opponent, so the Bucks get a quick chance to answer a 21-point home loss.

The schedule starts fast. Milwaukee hosts Chicago on Oct. 23 and plays at Philadelphia the next night, Oct. 24, a back-to-back with the second game on NBA TV. After that the Bucks play three straight at home: Indiana on Oct. 26, Houston on Oct. 28 and Cleveland on Oct. 31. That puts four of the first five games at Fiserv Forum. The full regular season covers 80 games, and Milwaukee has 4 national TV games on the slate. No injuries are listed, so coach and staff should have the full roster for the opener. Early home dates give a new group time to find rotations before the road gets heavier.

Expect the Bucks to stay in trade conversations. Jake Fischer reported on Oct. 15 that Milwaukee, the Lakers and the Grizzlies were exploring trades, and he followed up on Oct. 16. On Oct. 22 the Bucks were reported among the teams the Warriors contacted about Porzingis. Nothing is done, and a contact is not a deal. Roster moves have kept coming at the edges. The Bucks waived Pete Nance, Johni Broome and Jake Stephens on Oct. 17. They then brought Nance back on a two-way contract on Oct. 20. With a roster this guard-heavy, any move that adds size or defense makes sense to watch.