After back-to-back playoff failures, Bucks hope to regain championship form
By GERY WOELFEL
The Milwaukee Bucks are considered one of the favorites to win the NBA championship this season.
So, what’s new?
The Bucks have been pegged as NBA title contenders for the last four seasons. And they have just one Larry O’Brien Championship trophy to show for it.
The Bucks clearly had a golden opportunity to win their second straight title two seasons ago. But an unfortunate injury to star forward Khris Middleton derailed those hopes as they were ousted in the second round of the playoffs by Boston.
Last season, the Bucks blew another opportunity for championship glory when Giannis Antetokounpo was an epic failure at the free throw line against Miami in Game 5 of their first-round series against Miami.
That’s when Antetokounmpo missed 13 free throws – the second-most misses by a player in a series-ending playoff game in NBA history. The NBA opened shop in 1946.
The Bucks lost that game by two points — 128-126 — in overtime.
If not for Middleton’s untimely injury and Antetokounmpo’s embarrassingly bad free throw shooting, it isn’t a stretch to believe the Bucks could have won four straight titles and now be in the midst of a dynasty
Instead, the Bucks will once again try to find that winning championship formula of three seasons ago. They should be significantly aided by two factors: The addition of Hall-of-Fame in-waiting guard Damian Lillard and belonging to the pedestrian Eastern Conference.
Lillard is a born scorer and figures to noticeably upgrade the Bucks’ scoring punch. Lillard averaged a gaudy 32.2points, albeit in 58 games, last season. That ranked third in the league behind Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid (33.1 pts) and Dallas’ Luka Doncic (32.4 points).
Lillard has averaged at least 25 points in seven of his 11 pro seasons. His career scoring average is 25.2 points.
As for the Eastern Conference, it is once again the weaker of the league’s two conferences. Unlike the Western Conference, which has a legitimate seven championship contenders – Denver, Phoenix, Golden State, the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings, the Eastern Conference has just two certifiable title contenders: Boston and Milwaukee.
Philadelphia could perhaps join the aforementioned two teams after a potential James Harden trade, and Miami certainly can’t be dismissed despite losing some players who played nice roles in their run to the Finals last season.
But right now, it’s a two-team race in the East.
“You have Boston, and you have Milwaukee,’’ said an Eastern Conference executive, who doesn’t work for either team. “There are other teams (in the East) that are good but not on the same level as Boston and Milwaukee.’’
So, barring a major transaction, there shouldn’t be any excuses – none – for the Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin and his crew to, at the very least, reach the EC Finals.
And if the Bucks advance from there, they should be positioned to win it all as they won’t have gone through a gauntlet of great teams just to get there.
Here is my predicted order of finish in both conferences.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
- Boston — The Celtics are oozing with top-tier talent and, if offseason acquisition Kristaps Porzingis performs up to immense capabilities, the Cs could very well emerge as the league’s champions.
- Milwaukee – The Bucks don’t have a shortage of talent, either. But they have two major concerns: a suspect bench and a versatile, high-grade perimeter defender like they did with the departed Jrue Holiday, who now figures to play a prominent role for the Celtics.
- Miami – The Heat didn’t land Lillard as many expected over the summer, but they still have two bona-fide stars in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. What’s more, look for the motivated and talented Tyler Herro to emerge as a star.
- Philadelphia – Joel Embiid is a marvelous talent, but is he capable of making his teammates better? I think not. And the 76ers still need to clean up the messy Harden situation. Good luck with that.
- Cleveland – If there is a “surprise’’ team in the East, it’s the Cavs. Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland may be the best backcourt in the East.
- New York – The Knicks are rock solid. They don’t have a gaping hole in their starting lineup and their top reserves are quality players. They just don’t have a superstar – yet.
- Atlanta – Like Cleveland, the Hawks have a dynamite backcourt in Trae Young and Dejounte Murray, but a young and unproven frontcourt.
- Brooklyn – Which Ben Simmons will show up? The one that just a few years ago was a superstar … or the one who the last two seasons has been injured and a non-factor.
PLAY-IN TEAMS
Chicago and Indiana. The Bulls added some much-needed depth during the offseason, including the addition of former Bucks guard Javan Carter. The Pacers should take a step up after adding highly underrated Bruce Brown, a key contributor for the Nuggets last season.
LOTTERY BOUND
Orlando, Detroit, Toronto, Washington, Charlotte.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
- Sacramento – There is a faction of NBA observers who contend the Kings are just too young to be in the title mix. No me. The Kings not only boast style – they scored an insane league-high 120.7 points a game last season – but they have substance in their starting unit and reserve corps. The expected improvement of Keegan Murray and Davion Mitchell, along with the acquisition of Sasha Vezenkov, should make the Kings a dangerous team.
- Denver Nuggets – The reigning champs have few chinks in their armor with the biggest being their depth. Losing Bruce Brown will hurt. But as long as Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray stay healthy, the Nuggets have a viable chance to successfully defend their title.
- Phoenix Suns – You could make a compelling argument that Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are the best trio in the league. Scoring won’t be an issue; defense will.
- Golden State – If Chris Paul, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson can find the Fountain of Youth, the Warriors could be in business. As great as Stephen Curry is, he still needs an effective supporting cast
- Los Angeles Lakers – You can always count on LeBron James. You just can’t depend on Anthony Davis. While indisputably talented, Davis spends more time on the court than the trainer’s room.
- Los Angeles Clippers – Time is running out on this over-paid, underachieving crew. As usual, Kawhi Leonard’s availability will determine the Clippers fate.
- Memphis Grizzlies – Can Ja Morant stay focused? If does, the Grizzlies will be heard from. If not, they’ll be mere pretenders than contenders.
- Dallas Mavericks – Can Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving – maybe one of the most talented backcourts the game has ever seen – co-exist? Suffice to say, they’ll have be on the same page for this team to make a deep playoff run..
PLAY-IN TEAMS
New Orleans and Utah. The Pelicans could become quite formidable if Zion Williamson regain his All-Star caliber form. The rebuilt Jazz boast a terrific frontcourt with forwards Lauri Markkanen and John Collins and rim-protector extraordinaire Kessler Walker.
LOTTERY BOUND
Minnesota, Oklahoma City, Portland, Houston, San Antonio.
Crystal ball gazing
East finalists – Boston and Milwaukee.
East champion – Boston
West finalists – Denver and Sacramento.
West champion – Sacramento.
NBA champion – Boston.
MVP – Jayson Tatum, Boston.
Coach of the Year – Mike Brown, Sacramento.
Rookie of the Year – Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio.
Defensive Player of the Year – Kristaps Porzingis, Boston.
Sixth Man of the Year — Immanuel Quickley, New York
