Notes: Bucks open against the best teams in the East

There will be no easing into the regular season for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bucks open their 2017-'18 slate at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday against the Boston Celtics at the TD Garden and play their home opener at 6 p.m. Friday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Last season, the Celtics and Cavaliers finished with the best records in the Eastern Conference and squared off in the conference finals.

They're projected to be the cream of the crop in the East again this year.

“It’s tough, but it’s a good test for us," Bucks guard Khris Middleton said. "We’re starting with some heavy hitters early, so we have to be ready. That’s one thing Coach (Jason Kidd) has been telling us since the start of training camp is to be ready.”

While the Bucks will bring continuity into those two matchups, the Celtics and Cavaliers look quite different from last season and were at the center of a blockbuster trade this summer. In that deal, Boston sent Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder to Cleveland and got Kyrie Irving in return.

Both teams made other notable moves to improve, with the Celtics adding free-agent Gordon Hayward and the Cavaliers bringing in Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose.

"We've just got to continue to do our side and do our stuff," Bucks center Thon Maker said. "For them, they're going to make their changes. For us, we're comfortable with what we have, that's why we stayed the same.

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"The way we change is our intensity level's got to increase, our talk's got to increase. Our energy and effort is what we're judged on as a team. By us providing that, each individual providing that, we're tough to beat."

How the off-season changes affect the Celtics and Cavaliers is yet to be seen, but the Bucks will have the advantage of a scouting report. The Celtics and Cavaliers tipped off the season Tuesday night.

“I think everybody’s going to be tuning in to the game whether we’re at dinner together or in our rooms," Middleton said. "It’s important to watch the opponent the night before, get a little heads up on what they’re doing and who they’re playing.”

Liggins arrives: DeAndre Liggins, whom the Bucks claimed off waivers Monday, joined the team for practice Tuesday morning. He will wear No. 25, though he was listed as one of the team's two inactive players on the official roster submitted to the NBA.

While Liggins' addition came as a surprise to many, Kidd said the 6-foot-6 defensive-minded guard is a player the Bucks have long considered.

“He’s a guy we’ve been looking at since last year and we wanted to be able to take a look at him," Kidd said. “He can play multiple positions, he’s a guy that can defend, plays extremely hard. Those are the things that we’re looking at. We’ll be able to take a closer look at him being the 15 spot.”

Two-wayclaimed: Gary Payton II was waived by the Bucks on Saturday but didn't spend much time away. He was back at practice Tuesday after rejoining the franchise on a two-way contract.

The prospect of Payton signing a two-way contract has been a likely next step in his development. Milwaukee signed Payton late last season and carried the 24-year-old on a non-guaranteed deal over the summer, which allowed him to play for the Bucks in summer league and compete in training camp.

Payton will spend most of his time with Milwaukee's G League affiliate, the Wisconsin Herd. He can spend up to 45 days with the Bucks, not including any time before the start of the Herd’s training camp and following the conclusion of the G League regular season.

The Bucks still have one two-way contract spot open.