Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers prediction and combined starting 5 - March 17th, 2021
The red-hot Milwaukee Bucks will look to take advantage of the Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers when they visit the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday night. The 76ers lead the Eastern Conference in the 2020-21 NBA season with a 28-12 record, while the Bucks occupy third place with a 25-14 record.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will be the best player on the floor in this tremendous matchup. While the Philadelphia 76ers will miss their MVP candidate, Joel Embiid, they are coming off a convincing win over the San Antonio Spurs and a three-point victory against the New York Knicks.
Embiid injured his left knee during the Philadelphia 76ers' match against the Washington Wizards on March 12th and will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
This game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers will be the first of their three scheduled matchups of the 2020-21 NBA season.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers prediction - March 17th, 2021
The Milwaukee Bucks are 9-1 in their last 10 games and seem to have great rhythm right now. Antetokounmpo is currently leading the charge while posting big numbers and showing huge improvement with his shot, especially from the free-throw line.
The two-time reigning MVP has made 76% of his free throws since February 1st and is now at 68% for the entire season, which is essentially the same as LeBron James.
The Philadelphia 76ers will not be easy opponents. They are 4-5 without Joel Embiid but have won their last two games without the big man.
Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers combined starting 5 - March 17th, 2021
G Ben Simmons, G Jrue Holiday, F Khris Middleton, F Tobias Harris, C Giannis Antetokounmpo
Ben Simmons will be the best player on the Philadelphia 76ers team for this game. The Australian will need to have a big performance on both ends of the court for Doc Rivers' team.
Simmons is averaging 16 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game so far. He is second in the Philadelphia 76ers in Defensive Rating (behind Embiid) and is the team leader in Defensive Box Plus/Minus (ninth in the entire league).
On the Milwaukee Bucks' backcourt, Jrue Holiday's presence is definitely essential. Holiday missed 10 games between February 8th and February 25th, and the Milwaukee Bucks lost five of their first six games in that stretch before winning the last four prior to his return.
Since Holiday's return, the team has won five of their last six games. For the entire season, Holiday is averaging 15 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game with 48/36/79 shooting splits.
Khris Middleton is also a key player for the Milwaukee Bucks' success in the regular season and the upcoming 2021 NBA Playoffs. Though he did not get selected for the 2021 All-Star Game, Middleton is certainly having a good year.
He is putting up 20 points, six rebounds and 5.6 assists in the 2020-21 NBA season with 49/42/89 shooting splits. Not only is he a great shooter, but he is also getting better at making plays for his teammates and is posting a career-high in assists per game.
Tobias Harris has been the Philadelphia 76ers' third-best player in the 2020-21 NBA season. On many nights, he has also been a good closer for the team.
The 28-year-old is having arguably the best season of his NBA career. He is averaging career highs in points (20.2), assists (3.5) and is also flirting with a 50/40/90 season, with his 52/40/89 shooting splits for the Philadelphia 76ers.
Milwaukee Bucks Giannis Antetokounmpo is the NBA's reigning two-time MVP, and it is unlikely that he will win the award for a third consecutive time. However, that notion says more about the voters' approach than Antetokounmpo's level this season.
The Greek player is arguably performing at the highest level of his career on both sides, and that's a lot to say about a player who is already an MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Award winner.
Giannis is averaging 29 points, 11.7 rebounds, a career-high 6.2 assists, a steal and a block per game. He has made 56% of his shots and 68% of his free throws so far.
The Milwaukee Bucks' MVP is coming off three straight triple-doubles and also ranks in the Top 5 in Offensive Win Shares, Defensive Win Shares and Defensive Box Plus/Minus.
Also read: 5 most unique NBA MVP seasons in league history