The Toronto Raptors took on the Bucks in a showdown of the only remaining undefeated teams in the NBA on Monday, in what was a rather lopsided affair throughout.
Here are my takeaways from the game:
1. Short-Handed Raptors Struggled
The Raptors played the game without not only their superstar forward, Kawhi Leonard, but they were missing two key bench guys in OG Anunoby (personal reasons) and Fred VanVleet (injury).
This meant we got to see more of some of the end-of-the-bench players like Malachi Richardson and Lorenzo Brown.
While neither of those guys struggled, they did not necessarily provide the same spark off the bench as Freddy and OG usually do.
2. The Bucks are Good, With or Without Giannis
The Bucks were also missing a superstar of their own, in the form of the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Despite the absence of their franchise player, the Bucks were able to push the Raptors all game long, eventually winning by a pretty comfortable margin, mostly due to the hot shooting off the bench (Thon Maker), and the steady presences of guys like Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe.
3. The Raptors Should Keep Resting Kawhi
After resting Kawhi, the Raptors received some backlash from a few fans, who believed that the Raptors would have won with Kawhi in the game.
While that's probably true, it's definitely worth resting him every once in a while, just to ensure that he stays happy and avoids injury.