A Trio Of Plays For Hornets Vs Bucks

Hornets vs. Bucks, 8:00 ET

I was reflecting a bit about 2025, as most people probably do near the end of the year. I was thinking about the sports and sports betting calendar with most of December being a football month, even though that's not primarily what I think about for winter sports. Last year, I wrote 730 articles and shared them with you on Outkick. Hopefully, you were fading when I lost and following when I won, but either way, I hope that you took something away from the articles. I've written quite a bit about football lately, so I'm switching back to the sport I love most and think about most in winter - basketball - as the Hornets take on the Bucks.  

The Hornets are still not a good basketball team, but I suppose you can at least say they are getting better or are on the right track. The team is 11-22 for the season and has won just four road games. It typically takes a team longer to learn to win on the road, but this is a team just learning to win in general. They do have some nice pieces on the roster with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel. Let's break down those three a bit and see what we think about them. Ball is a talented scorer, but he has some of the worst decision-making I've seen. He would rather shoot a 40-foot three-pointer with 20 seconds on the shot clock than work the ball around or attack the basket, which I actually think is his best strength as a scorer. He has the talent, but a coach needs to get him to buy in. Brandon Miller has the makings of a solid third option, someone who can get hot, can score, can defend, but isn't truly elite at any of them. Kon Knueppel might be the best of all three of them when it is all said and done. He is showing his can score in more ways than just wide open three-pointers. It would be a shock if he wasn't a finalist for Rookie of the Year. He did miss a game after injuring his ankle, but he came back and scored 20 points in 32 minutes the other night, so he is probably fine. He is from the Milwaukee area as well, and the first time he played there, he dropped 32 points in 41 minutes. 

SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 03: Brandon Miller #24 of the Charlotte Hornets shoots a foul shot against the San Antonio Spurs in the second half during the 2023 NBA California Classic at Golden 1 Center on July 03, 2023 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

The Bucks have to be frustrating to their fans. In some ways, you need to respect that they are doing everything they can to support their franchise player, Giannis Antetokounmpo. They went after Damian Lillard to try and pair two elite players. It didn't work out and Lillard got injured so they got creative in order to sign Myles Turner. Turner is an upgrade over Brook Lopez, but I can't say this was a huge step up. Giannis has expressed his frustrations with the team in general, and at 14-20, it shows there is still work to be done. I personally think the move to Doc Rivers should've never been made, but it is too late to go back in time and change that decision. He's a decent coach, but it wasn't like the team was struggling without him. I actually like some of the pieces Milwaukee has right now. They seem to have tried to surround Giannis with any potential talent they can in hopes that it might ignite the team. They can't do much because of a lack of money and assets, so they need to find a way to get this roster to come together before Giannis finally demands a trade. 

This game is one where the Hornets are going to be overmatched. This is the fourth time the teams have met this season and the Hornets have only won one game. They took the series opener, winning 111-100. Since then, the Bucks won by 13 in overtime which is hard to do, and won by 10 in their most recent matchup, just a few days ago. That game was one Knueppel missed. Milwaukee is a frustrating team, they just lost to the Wizards, but that's part of why I like them here. If you lose to a bad team, typically you come out with intensity trying to make up for it. I like the Bucks to win the first half and full game by the spread in each. Bucks 1st Half -3.5 and Full Game -5.5. Consider looking at Giannis over points and take Knueppel over points as well. 

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