by Jordan Fickling, sports editor
Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks suffered an unexpected loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Madison Square Garden on October 20th.
Before recently acquiring Jason Kidd as their new head coach, the Milwaukee Bucks had their worst season in recent memory (15 wins and 67 losses)
Shooting Guard OJ Mayo, recently joined the Bucks last summer where he frequently struggled with weight and conditioning.
Mayo looks to have an impressive season, scoring 24 points. He was a big part to the Bucks’ 120-107 victory over the New York Knicks.
“He’s a veteran. He’s a big part of this team. When he was with Dallas, he was mentioned as an all-star,” Kidd said.
Small Forward Carmelo Anthony tried to rally the Knicks by scoring 24 points. However, Milwaukee’s bench also contributed by making this win happen.
“The Bucks’ roster is a very deep roster. They’re currently rebuilding which is why they have younger and faster players. This is why they outran the Knicks in this decisive victory,” senior Nick Pecunia said.
Two other players on the Bucks also made a great impression in the preseason. Shooting Guard Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shooting Guard Jared Dudley both scored a combined 28 points and 11 rebounds.
Milwaukee’s final preseason game will be against team similar to them in terms of roster depth, the Minnesota Timberwolves. Both teams respectively possess two first and second first round NBA draft picks in Small Forward Jabari Parker and Point/Shooting Guard Andrew Wiggins.
Both rookies are vying for the prestigious NBA Rookie of the Year, making this season a must watch to see the path Wiggins and Parker will take in order to receive that honor.
“I think Wiggins will win the NBA Rookie of the Year. Unlike Parker, Wiggins is on a team where he will be given the ball more because there aren’t enough stars in the Timberwolves as opposed to the Milwaukee Bucks,” junior Dean Zouvelos said.