Bucks Starters Announced for Lakers Preseason Matchup

Will Giannis Antetokounmpo suit up?

Mar 26, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) drives to the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) in the first half at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images / Michael McLoone-Imagn Images

Milwaukee Bucks All-NBA power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo will suit up for his first preseason game of 2024-25, the team recently announced via its official X account.

The 6-foot-11 superstar sat out the Bucks' preseason opener on Sunday, a loss to the Detroit Pistons. Three-time All-Star small forward Khris Middleton will sit out, while new free agent signing Taurean Prince will replace him among Milwaukee's first five. Gary Trent Jr., the team's starting shooting guard, suffered an elbow injury in the third quarter of the Pistons game while trying to manuever around Detroit center Jaden Ivey, and he did miss the team's practice on Tuesday, but he is set to start.

Our first five. pic.twitter.com/zPTiBxdCOK

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 10, 2024

Eight-time All-Star point guard Damian Lillard and one-time All-Star 3-and-D center Brook Lopez will round out the Bucks starters.

On the Lakers side, Mike Trudell of Lakers.com reveals that starting shooting guard will sit out due to a sore ankle. Normal starters D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, and L.A. All-Stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be available, however. The Lakers announced on their official X account that young shooting guard Max Christie will replace Reaves among the traditional starting lineup.

Per sportsbook aggregator The Action Network, the Bucks are -2.5 favorites to win at home against Los Angeles. Both clubs finished with middling regular season records, both made marginal changes to their rosters over the summer, and both are now slated to be missing a starter in a fairly meaningless preseason game. This could go either way given how little starters will play in the game's second half, and may be worth avoiding for bettors.

All eyes will be trained on an underwhelming Los Angeles reserve point guard Bronny James, but certainly not for his on-court play thus far. The 6-foot-2 USC Trojans product, 20, was selected with the No. 55 pick in this June's 2024 NBA Draft. Through his first two preseason games with the Lakers, LeBron James' eldest son is averaging just 1.0 points on 14.3 percent shooting from the floor, 1.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks, 0.5 assists, and 2.5 turnovers a night across 14.7 minutes of action.

Neither the Bucks nor the Lakers have won a game yet this preseason, and are a combined 0-3. The game is well worth checking out in its first half, as neither Bucks head coach Doc Rivers nor Lakers head coach JJ Redick seems likely to play the team's starters or major rotation players big minutes beyond that.

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