Preseason Ends, Health Report Clears, Five Days to Washington

By the Bucks Nightly Desk · Saturday, October 17

Milwaukee closed the preseason at Indiana on Thursday, finishing the exhibition slate at 1-2. The health report that follows clears several regulars just as the regular-season opener comes into view.

Bucks Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Last season

Milwaukee missed the playoffs for the first time since 2016-17, finishing last season at 32-50 with the league's 24th-ranked offense, 26th-ranked defense, and a net rating of minus-6.1 at a pace of 98.3. That finish is why the roster looks nothing like the one that won it all in 2021.

This summer

On June 23, Milwaukee traded Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to Miami for Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel'el Ware and Kasparas Jakucionis. The draft brought in Brayden Burries at No. 10 and Nate Ament at No. 13, and Myles Turner signed on as a free agent away from rival Indiana.

This preseason

The exhibition slate opened with a loss at Charlotte, 90-105, then a lopsided home loss to Chicago, 104-125, a night Milwaukee rested eight regulars. The preseason closed Thursday at Indiana, where the Bucks trailed by 19 before rallying to win 128-127. Tyler Herro scored 25; Brayden Burries added 14 off the bench.

Friday

The injury report cleared out fast. Kevin Porter Jr., Gary Trent Jr. and AJ Green all moved to cleared, joining Herro, Turner, Kuzma, Rollins and Jaquez Jr., cleared a day earlier. Jericho Sims is the new name on the list, day-to-day with an undisclosed issue; he and Nate Ament, still day-to-day with a left ankle issue, are both targeting an October 21 return.

Next Milwaukee opens the regular season October 21 at Washington, five days after Thursday's finale — the same date both Sims and Ament are targeting for their return.

Did the Bucks make the playoffs last season?

No. Milwaukee finished last season 32-50 and missed the postseason for the first time since 2016-17.

When do the Bucks play their first regular-season game?

October 21, on the road at the Washington Wizards, five days after the preseason finale at Indiana.

By the Bucks Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.