Milwaukee Bucks’ first round opponent is the Detroit Pistons. This is the fifth time the Bucks and Pistons will get together in the postseason. It is the first time where the Bucks have home court advantage. Pistons could be running into a buzzsaw facing the Bucks. There is some thought that Detroit might be happy to just be here. The team has not made the playoffs since 2015-2016. A once famed basketball organization is looking for a rebirth, and it has started this season. If they shocked the NBA world by beating the Bucks, the revival would be complete. Here’s a cheat sheet on what’s happening with the team now.

Blake Griffin is hurt – This is the biggest headline for the Pistons going into the postseason. A knee injury is bothering Griffin, and it is so bad that head coach Dwane Casey says might cause him to miss Game 1 of the playoffs. Griffin had an all-NBA type year for Detroit and played a large role in getting them to the playoffs. If he cannot go for Game 1 and 2, it could be a very hard task for Detroit to steal an game in Milwaukee.

Pistons did not finish the season strong – Partly due to Blake’s injury plus a West Coast trip, this Detroit team is not coming in hot. They backed their way into the playoffs. Much like a golfer who has a bit of a lead than bogeys the last couple holes to hang on. That’s what Detroit did in the last couple weeks of the year. They finished 4-7 and won their last two games beating tanking Memphis and New York. This is not a recipe for success.

Bucks see Dwane Casey again – This is an entirely different situation, but Casey does have some familiarity with playing the Bucks roster in the playoffs. Mostly, he could have a game plan against Giannis Antetokounmpo. Will it work? We shall see. When Casey coached Toronto against Giannis, he was the ripe age of 22 and only starting to show signs that he could be special. This is a much different version of the Greek Freak.

Andre Drummond has to figure out Brook Lopez – If SnoTapWI was a Pistons blog, this would be the story heading into the postseason matchup. Andre Drummond dominated the Bucks last season. In four games, Drummond averaged 19 points and 16 rebounds versus Milwaukee. The addition of Lopez neutralized that option. Drummond only averages 13 points and 10 rebounds per game this season. That’s a significant drop off in both categories.

Detroit feels like a team that is a few pieces away. They could be pretty good next year with an addition or two. The fact Griffin is battling an injury really hurts them especially against a team like the Bucks.

Charlie.