The Milwaukee Bucks are finding their rhythm. They fired Adrian Griffin and brought in Doc Rivers as head coach to right their ship. Milwaukee leads the league in defensive rating since the All-Star break and is back in second place in the Eastern Conference. It’s a make-or-break season. Dollars have the talent and finally start showing it off on the floor.
It was a bold move for Damian Lillard, but they needed to prove to Giannis Antetokounmpo that the franchise was all in on winning. If the Bucks fail in the playoffs more changes will come. It will be a race under pressure. The title is within reach, but Milwaukee has to go out and win it.
The NBA is full of talent and the race is wide open. Boston is the favorite in the East and will have its home court, but don’t count out Giannis and the Bucks. Milwaukee needs to play to their strengths to make the NBA Finals, and here are some advantages they can look to exploit.
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to the championship in 2021. It may seem like a long time ago, but they are the most recent team in the Eastern Conference to win it all. The Raptors won the title in 2019, but did not make the playoffs. Cleveland was the last team in the East before that in 2016. The Celtics reached the NBA Finals in 2022, but haven’t won a championship since 2008.
Jayson Tatum doesn’t have a ring. Joel Embiid has never even played in the conference finals. Jimmy Butler is still looking for his first title. The Bucks won everything. Damian Lillard doesn’t have a ring, but Milwaukee’s other stars know how to make it happen. This is a huge advantage for the Bucks to utilize.
This isn’t the only area where the Milwaukee Bucks are the best team in the conference, and they need to find ways to use it to their advantage.
