For any fans of the NBA out there, Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s startling 50-point performance that clinched Milwaukee Bucks‘ first championship since 1971 in Game 6 of the finals last season must still be running quite fresh in their minds. Not only because it was one of the most brilliant bits of basketball you could see one play, but also because it was just merely three months ago and yet the Bucks are already gearing up to start the new season on Tuesday.

With the pandemic pushing back the schedules last season, the offseason was cut short for the teams contesting in the NBA Finals

And who do the Bucks open their 2021-22 campaign against? Well, Antetokounmpo and co. face the Brooklyn Nets, who would have eliminated them in the second round of the 2021 playoffs if Kevin Durant’s foot hadn’t crept across the 3-point arc while making a shot in Game 7.

There’s no doubt the title defenders would love to start the season strong with a victory but even amidst all the drama and noise around the Nets, with the likes of Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving, whose availability is still in doubt, the Brooklyn team is bloody good. 

Also Read: NBA 2021-22: How Western Conference may stack up this season?

Durant couldn’t get the injury-weakened Nets past the Bucks in last season’s playoffs, but the way he played in the second-round series — 49 points and a triple-double in Game 5, 48 points in Game 7 — and then in Tokyo while leading the US men’s team to the Olympic gold medal, he showed that he was back to his best.

On paper, the Nets have an incredible lineup. But they would love to have Irving, whose status was unclear for games in New York, where professional athletes are required to be vaccinated, back into their playing five. The Nets have decided he won’t play until he is fully available, ending the notion of him playing in road games.

Also Read:‘Doing what’s best for me’: Kyrie Irving explains why he remains unvaccinated

Meanwhile, for the Bucks, the challenge will be to monitor their top players early in the season because they had so little rest during this abbreviated offseason. Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday both featured in the US medal-winning team in the Olympics. 

Antetokounmpo, who hyperextended his left knee in the Eastern Conference finals, says he feels good but will be careful with his knee early in the season. The Bucks also must make sure they don’t overwork Holiday and Middleton after their busy offseason.  

But if the preseason is anything to go by, even with all the niggles and slight weariness, these superstars are out there hungry to perform, and when the NBA night kicks off, hold tight for a relentless season of basketball.