The Bucks players could only let the clock run out to put themselves out of their misery in game 6 of the Eastern Conference first-round playoffs last season. The Indiana Pacers thwarted their championship ambitions as Damian Lillard found himself in dire need of the other half of the Freak Time duo, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was out due to an injury. But this time the scenario has changed.

The Greek Freak has recovered, and the franchise’s hood has a more stable managerial situation than last season. As the offseason is coming to its final stretch, the Cream City team is getting ready for another championship chase to end their 3-year wait. So, let’s find out what their preseason schedule looks like.

Preseason Schedule

The Bucks players are supposed to join the training camp on October 3, right after their Media Day (September 30). After three days of vigorous training, they’ll visit the Detroit Pistons for their first clash. The Motor City side hasn’t been in good shape for the past couple of years, finishing at the bottom of the league table. Despite having a tough ride last season, the Bucks easily dominated them in all the four regular season games that the two played. Even in overall head-to-head, they are leading with 150 wins, while the Pistons are lagging with their 113 wins. We’ll be able to see on Sunday, October 6 at 8 PM ET where the two teams stand right now.

Next up in the queue will be the LA Lakers. No matter how tough a team, the Bucks facing LeBron James and Co. is no easy task, even Giannis knows that. Last season’s 2-0 serves as an example of that. Till date, the Bucks have competed against the LA side in 146 regular season games, succeeding in only 60 of those encounters. Although now, they’ll have ample time to prepare before the October 10 preseason game at 8 PM ET. So save the date and time to witness some fiery actions at the Bucks’ home arena, the Fiserv Forum.

Following the Thursday night game, the Bucks will get ready to host the Chicago Bulls. The team has undergone multiple transformations in the off-season break. With their newly formed roster, the Bulls will march on October 14 at 8 PM ET to face the Milwaukee franchise. The Central Division rivals had a neck-to-neck regular season games record until last season when the Bucks snatched three victories in four of their meet-ups.

For their final preseason game, the Bucks will travel to American Airlines Center for an exciting game against the Dallas Mavericks on October 17 at 7:30 PM ET. In the previous season, the Mavs duo Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving couldn’t get the opportunity to show their outstanding on-court bond to the Bucks and ended up losing both the games they played. But this time, who would want to miss a game between the duos Giannis-Lillard and Kyrie-Doncic? Historically, the Bucks are leading with a 47-win record over the Mavs’ 38 but the tables could turn soon. You can screenshot the below table for quick reference:

Key Match-Ups

Looking at the schedule, two names automatically stand out, the Lakers and the Mavs. The two Western outfits from the stacked conference will provide solid tests for the Bucks. Not only LeBron and Doncic’s brilliance will be a headache, but the recent additions to the franchises can also cause trouble for them. JJ Redick will be eager to impress and so will Klay Thompson. With Damian Lillard in a healthy frame of mind after his tough first year adapting to the city, Giannis and the Bucks can hope for a stronger finish to the season. But before the Bucks could start, their critics have already shot questions at their ace.

Former franchise legend criticizes Milwaukee Bucks star

There’s no doubt that Giannis Antetokounmpo played a huge part in the Milwaukee Bucks’ latest championship success. However, his absence in the crucial stages has been scrutinized by the franchise’s legend, Marques Johnson.

While discussing the major drawbacks that the Bucks are facing, on the Hear District podcast, the 68-year-old said, “It’s about health. It’s about staying healthy. Dame staying healthy.” Then the former small forward pointed out, “Giannis has been hurt in the last two playoffs. That baffles me how people don’t even mention that he’s been pretty much a no-show in the playoffs the last couple of years. They just act like he’s been completely healthy…It makes no sense.”

Giannis massively provides at both ends of the court, and without him in the team, the Bucks could crumble. Much like last season, the Greek-Nigerian was sidelined from the 2023 first-round playoffs against the Heat due to injuries which led to the team’s downfall. However, before leaving, his average was 23.3 points and 11 rebounds in the 3 games. So, Johnson knows pretty well that the offensive forward is one of the biggest threats to the other teams as a big season for the Bucks awaits.