It might’ve been one of the ugliest come-from-behind wins in a long while for Milwaukee, but Monday’s 90-88 win over the Portland Trail Blazers means the Bucks are officially on a win streak! Not much of one, of course, but the facts are the facts. All of that very well could come to a halt this evening when the Los Angeles Clippers stop in town for the only time this season. The Clippers have been annual contenders on the backs of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, and the latest iteration of the Clips is no different (though the supporting cast is just as varied as it has been the past few seasons). Chemistry and fit issues have plagued them throughout the year, but they’re running into some luck as the Bucks have been just as varied rotational-wise as well. Let’s get to tonight’s preview!

The Logistics

When – 7:00 PM Central

Where – BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI

TV & Radio – FS Wisconsin; 620 WTMJ

Probable Starters

Los Angeles Clippers (12-9) Milwaukee Bucks (9-13) Chris Paul PG OJ Mayo JJ Redick SG Khris Middleton Luc Richard Mbah a Moute SF Giannis Antetokounmpo Blake Griffin PF Jabari Parker DeAndre Jordan C Greg Monroe

Storylines of the Night

Clippers Update

The names Griffin and Paul remain, and so do other familiar faces like those of Jamal Crawford, JJ Redick, and DeAndre Jordan. Outside of that, though, these aren’t the Clippers your Father grew up watching. Or your older brother. Or you, really, given the high levels of turnover going on underneath the surface of the Clippers’s starting 5. At the beck and call of head coach/GM Doc Rivers, the Clippers went out and acquired talented players such as Josh Smith, Lance Stephenson, Paul Pierce, Pablo Prigioni, etc etc etc. Shockingly, a lot of those guys haven’t really begun to gel in the Rivers system, and a fair amount of reliance upon the starting lineup has emerged so far this season.

Of course, that starting lineup still features some of the top talent at each position, and trying to top the Clippers even when they’re on the road is no light task. As a team, Los Angeles doesn’t really excel at anything in particular, though they do hold one of the lowest turnover rates in addition to above average assist numbers. Much like Milwaukee, they’ve had some big struggles keeping opponents away from shooting and making plenty of 3s. While it hasn’t been Milwaukee’s style thus far, keeping the ball movement high and outside shooting equally so may be a focus this evening.

A team offensive rating at 105.9 translates into a high-powered offense, and that spells trouble for a Bucks team still trying to get their legs under them on defense. Their latest result against the Trail Blazers was more a function of really horrible shooting nights for both teams and not some revolutionary scheme Milwaukee uncovered. Praying for an off night from LA would be foolish, and assuming the normal gaps on defense will be there tonight, I strongly suggest biting down on something hard for most of the night to numb the pain.

A Backcourt Still in Flux

OJ Mayo has gotten the nod as the starting point guard the past two games, and things haven’t exploded into flames just yet. Michael Carter-Williams has done alright coming off the bench with the second unit and was a key player (for better or worse) in keying the Bucks comeback against the Trail Blazers. Jerryd Bayless remains out after an ankle sprain, and Greivis Vasquez might be making his return this evening after some injury problems kept him out.

What does all of the above mean for Bucks coach Jason Kidd? If you’re an optimist, it means he’s getting a chance to see some different looks and rotations for his guards while some are sidelined. A pessimist, however, might look at it as a situation forcing Kidd to scramble and build a bridge while simultaneously shaking things up, especially with MCW.

Mayo has been largely serviceable, and has shown some flashes as a ball distributor, but at the end of the day he’s still primarily a shooter, and running with him as the dominant ball handler will hurt a bit on nights where he isn’t in a rhythm. While getting MCW to put things together and turn into the distributing PG the Bucks need would be the best of all situations, one has to wonder if he’ll truly grow much beyond where he’s at now, especially as he is in the midst of his 3rd year at age 24. With time, it may end up that MCW is actually much more useful as the bench guard, but for the immediate future, it leaves a huge gap for the team in its lineups.