The Milwaukee Bucks celebrated their 2021 NBA title win by receiving their well-deserved championship rings on Opening Night. Afterwards, they dominated the Brooklyn Nets, the team almost everyone had over the defending champs as favorites for this year's crown. The Bucks put on the stranglehold from the get-go, racing out to a 37-25 advantage through the first quarter. Brooklyn made some runs here and there. However, they never really threatened to close the gap at any point during the game as the Bucks opened their title defense with a resounding 127-104 beatdown of the Kyrie Irving-less Nets.

Nonetheless, here are four takeaways from Milwaukee's Opening Night victory over Brooklyn.

4 Bucks Takeaways

1. Milwaukee looked like they had something to prove

The Bucks must have heard all the offseason chatter about the Nets being the title favorites for the 2022 NBA championship and took it as disrespect. Milwaukee dominated the Nets from the jump and kept their foot on the gas pedal all day long.

Milwaukee played with the confidence that came from their championship win and looked poised to prove their naysayers that they are indeed the defending champs for a reason. It's just one game and there's still a long season to go, but this statement win gave the Bucks the advantage mentally that they could take down the Nets, no matter what everyone else says.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo's shooting

No, The Greek Freak didn't shoot lights out from the perimeter in this game as he did during preseason. He shot just 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. However, he did show a more confident-looking stroke — and a shorter one, too — from the foul line, which should also translate to his in-game shooting.

Antetekounmpo drained 7-of-9 freethrows against the Nets and sure, it's just one game, but a 78 percent clip on opening night should be a promising development for the reigning Finals MVP. If Giannis' is able to consistently hit his shots from the perimeter and from the foul line, it's game over for the rest of the league.

3. Bucks are deeper than we thought they were

Many thought the Bucks lost some depth after P.J. Tucker left in free agency. However, opening night suggested that Milwaukee is actually deeper than many believed them to be. They played without four possible rotation pieces against the Nets — Donte DiVincenzo, Bobby Portis, Semi Ojeleye, and Rodney Hood. Still, Mike Budenholzer managed to field out a workable 8-man rotation that should only expand once their injured players return to the floor.

Milwaukee may not have the kind of household names that the likes of the Nets and Lakers have on their squads. But as long as everyone knows their role and plays it to the best of their abilities, the Bucks, led by their Big Three of Antetokounmpo, Middleton, and Holiday, could very still be the team to beat in the East.

4. Is Jordan Nwora… something?

Jordan Nwora is making us look good so far as we called that he would be Milwaukee's breakout player this 2021-22 season. If the first game is going to be any indication, that very well could be the case. The Bucks' sophomore forward looked good in his season debut, dropping 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting to go along with three 3-pointers and six rebounds in 26 minutes off the bench.

Nwora looked really comfortable out there and played with a confidence that will definitely earn him a consistent role in Milwaukee's rotation this season. If he could provide the Bucks with steady scoring production off the bench all year long, it is going to be difficult to dethrone this Bucks team.