Three keys to watch for in Bucks preseason opener, post-Giannis

The Milwaukee Bucks tip off the Taylor Jenkins era on Monday night in a preseason matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

For the first time in several years, there’s an air of unpredictability to almost everything around the Bucks. Preseason games obviously aren’t quite as informative as the real Opening Night, but this will still be the first time we see the Jenkins-coached Bucks in any capacity.

It’s probably unwise to get this excited about a preseason game, but let’s live a little. Here are three things to watch for when Milwaukee takes on the Wolves.

1) The Starting Five

Whichever group starts the game on Monday night won’t be cemented as the Opening Night starting five — Taylor Jenkins has already said he may use the preseason games to test different groups.

That said, the starters he rolls out on Monday night will be the group Jenkins wants to get a look at first. Will it be the Ryan Rollins / Tyler Herro / Jaime Jaquez Jr. / Kyle Kuzma / Myles Turner group, or will Jenkins go for a double-big look with Kel’el Ware and Turner?

Maybe there’s a curveball that is totally off the radar! It’ll be exciting to finally see where Jenkins is leaning with the starters.

2) Offensive Scheme

Jenkins has hinted at using the constraints-based approach coaching method, but that’s more of an overarching methodology than a specific scheme. We don’t know what Jenkins will prioritize on either end yet. Without a foundational talent like Giannis Antetokounmpo who dictates how the team plays, Jenkins could go virtually any direction.

It’ll be fascinating to see every decision made in this first game, but the offensive end is more interesting than defense in my opinion. Jenkins utilized his bigs as playmaking hubs in Memphis — Will Turner and Ware be running dribble hand-offs with the talented guards in the roster, or will Herro, Rollins and company be running more conventional pick-and-rolls?

Or will pick-and-rolls even be utilized, given Jenkins has previously worked with Noah LaRoche, the pioneer of the funky offense Miami utilized last season that eschewed pick-and-rolls for more driving and cutting actions?

Sep 28, 2026; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Ryan Rollins (13) poses for a photo during Media Day. Mandatory Credit: Michael McLoone-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

3) Defensive Stopper

The Bucks will be immediately challenged on the defensive end against Minnesota, assuming Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball play in the preseason opener. In addition to the defensive scheme, we’ll also see how Jenkins approaches tough defensive matchups.

Edwards is one of the most talented offensive players in the NBA. It’s safe to assume that Herro won’t draw that assignment, and that Turner will be tasked with guarding Rudy Gobert. That leaves Rollins or whoever starts at forward to guard Edwards. Jaime Jaquez Jr. is more known for offense than this end of the floor, so he probably won’t start off guarding Edwards if he does start on Monday.

Ryan Rollins made his bones on defense when he first got to Milwaukee’s rotation, but took a huge step forward on offense last season and may be needed for Ball.

Kyle Kuzma took on some primary scorers, including guards, and did well on some of those tough assignments like Luka Doncic. But Kuzma is also the nominal power forward, leaving smaller players to guard the Wolves forwards if Kuzma is used on Edwards.

Anthony Edwards is the first of many elite problems Jenkins has to solve with a guard-heavy roster. It’ll be fascinating to see his plan for limiting Edwards.

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