Fear the Deer.
Who knew we would see the Milwaukee Bucks atop the NBA, let alone the East with the best record in the league. The “Greek Freak” has led the Bucks to their best record since the 1972-73 season (59 wins). The same season Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the MVP award and the Bucks were in the NBA Finals that season (lost 3-4 to the Boston Celtics). The Bucks are the real deal in the East! Sure, they are not the Warriors, as no team can match up to that caliber with their starting five when it's playoff basketball, but I like the Bucks chances.
Mapping out the Playoffs
This basketball team starts and ends with #34. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is in the talks for the KIA MVP award, is arguably the most talented player in the NBA right now. Antetokounmpo is averaging career highs in points (27.4), assists (5.9), rebounds (12.5) and shooting 57.7% from the field… a serious clear-cut case in the MVP race. The Bucks have found a great second option to compliment the “Greek Freaks” game in forward, Khris Middleton. Middleton is shooting 43.8% from the field while averaging 18.1 points, He has averaged career highs in assists (4.5) and rebounds (6.1) this season. Middleton sure can’t carry this team without Giannis on the court, however, he is the perfect sidekick.
(Getty Images)
So the Bucks are ready to make a deep playoff run… They have some favorable head to head matchups down the stretch. Starting in the first round against either the Miami Heat or Orlando Magic. Against the Heat, the Bucks have won 3 of the 4 matchups with a loss coming a week before New Years. So if you look at it, since 2019 began, the Bucks have not lost to the Heat! Against the Magic, the Bucks have won 2/3 matchups with a loss coming in a game Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play in. The best part about being the first seed for Milwaukee? They won’t have to play the Raptors or Sixers until the Eastern Conference finals. The two teams that pose the biggest threat to the Bucks will essentially have to shoot one another in the foot IF they were to go head to head in the second round. The Bucks should take care of business in the first round in fewer than 6 games.
Final Take.
There’s a reason the Bucks are the NBA’s finest. The only problem I see with Milwaukee is the lack of playoff experience. Although they have ruled the regular season, they have never played in the second round. Luckily for them, they would at worst have to play the Celtics in the second round which isn’t as bad as it sounds. Once the Eastern Conference finals come around though, it could be a different story. The Sixers have won 1/3 games against the Bucks as the Raptors have won 1/4 games against the Bucks this season. In a 7 game series though, it will be interesting to watch. Regardless, Giannis made a statement today with this quote:
“They put Deandre Jordan on me, they put Gobert, they put Joel, they put Jarret Allen. They just keep doing that sh*t, but it doesn’t work.”
It’s true, teams have tried and stopped Giannis but simply have found no answer… If the East wants to have a chance to get a knack at the #1 seeded Bucks, they need to find an answer to stop Giannis. I expect the Bucks to be in the Eastern Conference finals, and I will evaluate them based on their performance/opponent.
