Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs @ Milwaukee Bucks

San Antonio Spurs @ Milwaukee Bucks

BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
January 3, 2013, 7:00 PM Spurs Time
TV: FSSW - RADIO: 1200 AM WOAI

The San Antonio Spurs will travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks at the Bradley Center. Game time starts at 7pm central time. Get your San Antonio Spurs tickets here!

The Milwaukee Bucks are probably the most bipolar team in the Association. One moment they look like a real Eastern Conference contender by beating the stuffing out of the Miami Heat, the next they play a treadmill team like the Detroit Pistons and make a half-hearted comeback attempt only to lose in the final moments. Their defense has been decent, clicking in at 102.1 defensive efficiency, good for 7th in the league (thank shot-blocker Larry Sanders for keeping guards out of the paint, and defensive savant/Cameroonian Prince Luc Richard Mbah a Moute), but their offense stinks, clocking in at 101.9 (which places 26th... there's probably something in the Central Division that makes their offense terrible, with the Pistons the best at 18th, with the Bulls, Bucks, Cavaliers, and Pacers all grouped together near the bottom). Of course, this would be no surprise considering their offense runs through two score-first guards who post sub 50 TS% in Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis. Although Ellis just garnered a Player of the Week nod, it's definitely delusional for him to think he's a Dwyane Wade sans two championships.

Nevertheless the Bucks seem to always play the Spurs well, they hold the best record against San Antonio in the Tim Duncan era excepting the Lakers. The Spurs have been rolling on both ends of the court, however, and it's worth noting that the current starting five of Tony Parker, Danny Green,Kawhi Leonard, Tim Duncan, and Tiago Splitter has so far outscored opponents by a margin of 50. Per 48 minutes, it roughly translates into a margin of 30+, which was the final margin of victory against the Nets. I expect a defensive game with the Spurs pulling away due to their superior execution on the offensive end of the court.

Lineups Starters PG: Tony Parker SG: Danny Green SF: Kawhi Leonard PF: Tim Duncan C: Tiago Splitter Key Bench Players Manu Ginobili Boris Diaw Stephen Jackson Head Coach Gregg Popovich			Lineups Starters PG: Brandon Jennings SG: Monta Ellis SF: Marquis Daniels PF: Luc Mbah a Moute C: Larry Sanders Key Bench Players Mike Dunleavy Beno Udrih Ersan Ilyasova Head Coach Scott Skiles

Bucks perspective can be found here: Brew Hoop

Game Prediction: Spurs win and defuse a potential trap game by 6. Vegas says Spurs by 5.

Game Previewers Prediction Records & points off per prediction

Wes Thorne 9-1* (-1, 0, 23, 2, -8*,1, 28, 10, 0, 2) *@MIA

Joe deLarios 7-2 (-1, 3, 5, 0, 1, 6,-11, -3, 16)

Fred 3-2 (3, -8, 20, 0)

Racm 2-3 (-25, -14, -5, 15, 12)

Stijl 1-1 (-12, 11)

CapHill 1-0 (13)

As always Tony must dominate Fisher, and NBA league pass is recommended for those who are willing to pony up the cash. Almost every Spurs game will be broadcast there, which is especially helpful for those of us who aren't in the San Antonio area. Please don't post links to illegal game feeds in the game thread. Links to illegal feeds are not permitted on SBNation, but you can probably find them out there on the internets if you're resourceful and desperate.