Detroit Pistons vs Milwaukee Bucks PistonPowered Staff series predictions

The Detroit Pistons take on the Milwaukee Bucks in 1 seed versus an 8 seed first round match-up. Who will come out on top? Here are our staff predictions!

After finishing the season 41-41 the Detroit Pistons are in the playoffs for only the second time in the last 10 years. Qualifying as the number eight seed they will be playing the team who finished with the NBA’s best record; the Milwaukee Bucks

Detroit is coming into the playoffs after wining its last two games against the Memphis Grizzlies and the New York Knicks. But with Blake Griffin still dealing with a sore left knee that caused him to miss significant time the last few weeks of the season. This first round match-up with the Eastern Conference’s top dog and Likely league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo will not be easy.

The team here at PistonPowered took some time to evaluate this match-up and bring you our “expert” opinions on the outcome of your Pistons first round series. Let’s get it started!

@ImMartinHi

The Bucks have their first 60 win season since 1980. They absolutely destroyed the Pistons in the regular season; winning by an average of 14.7 in the 4 games they played. Giannis is most likely the MVP of the league and Blake Griffin isn’t healthy.

The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Pistons in a 4-0 sweep.

@NathanUmali94

The Bucks are the best team in the league and have the likely MVP in Giannis. They beat the Pistons four times in the regular season and will do the same again. They aren’t at full strength, but neither are the Pistons.

The Pistons don’t have Stanley Johnson (who has played decent defense on Giannis in the past), so it will be interesting to see who takes a turn guarding him. Blake Griffin is hobbled, so I think it will be split between Andre Drummond and Thon Maker. If that tandem can find a way to slow him down even a little bit, the Pistons have a shot at stealing one game.

Bucks 4, Pistons 1

@JoeMinyawi

Blake is hurting but I think he’ll be fresh enough for one or two games. Fresh enough to help us steal game 3 in Detroit. The D has been waiting for playoff basketball for so long so the crowd will be hyped up.

Milwaukee is a 3 point shooting team but the Pistons are one of the top teams defending the three-point shot so that will play a huge role. It will be up to our big men to contain the size and length of Milwaukee. The Bucks will win their first series since 2001 in 5 games.

Bucks 4, Pistons 1

@AussieAsh13

The Pistons don’t match up well with the Bucks as they’ve had their number through the regular season.

I think the Pistons will manage one game mostly due to Blake carrying the team on those broad shoulders of his! I think that’ll be the 1st game at LCA, but that’s not sustainable and the Bucks will get it done overall.

The optimist side in me wants to say we have a shot (and I do believe that we do), but I can’t get my hopes up and get excited.

Bucks 4, Pistons 1

@TriolaNBA

I was feeling way more pessimistic about this series, until I looked back at the four games that these teams played against each other. And while the Bucks took all of them by a considerable margin, the Pistons team that we saw in December and January is nothing like the Pistons team that exists today, even considering their rough stretch to end the season.

These games were filled with Jose Calderon and Khyri Thomas minutes, Stanley Johnson shot 3-16 in the first match-up, and Luke Kennard was basically invisible until their last tilt. If Blake Griffin ends up being healthy enough to play by game 3 at Little Caesar’s Arena, I’m confident that this much improved Pistons team can steal a game from the Bucks.

Bucks 4, Pistons 1

@Gravelle_11

I’ve got the pistons losing in 5, but winning game 4 at home. I believe that the depth and ability of the Bucks will cause issues for the pistons all series long. It is important to get that 1 win though and show that the pistons are for real going forward.

Bucks 4, Pistons 1

@BenJamminLanza

The Pistons will lose this series, but there will be a chance for them to steal a game or two. The Pistons will need Blake to be somewhat of the offensive hub he was all season, and Andre to continue being an X-factor. If the Pistons can find a way to slow Giannis while still defending their three-point shooters, they’ll be able to stay competitive.

Bucks 4, Pistons 2

@KuKhahilNBA

This is really the worst match-up the Pistons could’ve gotten. With Blake limping into this series, it’s hard for me to see the Pistons keeping this series competitive. Giannis is likely the NBA MVP and we have no one that even comes close to matching him on defense. Boy, it would be great to have a 6’7” 245 lb wing defender that specializes in these kind of match-ups. Too bad we’ve never had one of those.

Wait…

Bucks 4, Pistons 1 (if Blake is healthy enough  to make a difference)

@TheRealESiV

Unfortunately for the Pistons, this match-up is a very tough one for them. Seemingly everything Milwaukee does well is a problem area for Detroit. Most notably, the Pistons struggle defending dribble penetration, and the bucks have built their offense around it. Keeping Milwaukee from driving into the lane for easy buckets or kick outs to shooters will be crucial if the Pistons hope to stand a chance in the series. Blake Griffin’s availability will be another key factor. Giannis is a star in this league and without Griffin at full strength it will be very hard to keep pace. I do believe Detroit plays a perfect game at some point to steal one, but I think the Pistons are most likely watching round 2 of the playoffs instead of competing in it.

Bucks 4, Pistons 1