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The NBA Finals have finally arrived, with the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns facing off in game one on Tuesday night. Leaving both LA franchises in their wake, the Suns came out of a stacked Western Conference and will be hoping to secure their first championship title. Meanwhile, the Bucks will be looking to end a 50-year drought without a chip with a side that has been building to this moment for a number of years.
On their way to the Finals, the Milwaukee Bucks had to overcome an onslaught from Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets. They then saw off Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks without the injured Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Greek is currently listed as day-to-day, though we can assume he will want to be on the court as soon as possible.
In this article, we will list five reasons why the Bucks can win against the Phoenix Suns. We have done so while including Antetokounmpo's involvement either from the start or predicting that he will play a major part in the series.
How the Milwaukee Bucks can overcome the Phoenix Suns in the NBA Finals
#1 Defensive toughness
There was little to be said about the Milwaukee Bucks' defense during the regular season. For a team that had an efficiency of just over a hundred last year and added P.J. Tucker and Jrue Holiday, finishing tenth this campaign was simply not good enough. Perhaps teams worked out how to combat the Bucks' defensive unit as Mike Budenholzer's side ended up having allowed the most three-point efforts and the 22nd-most points.
In the NBA playoffs, though, it has been a different story. The defensive toughness Bucks fans have become accustomed to over the last couple of years has returned. All five of their starters have a defensive rating below 105 with the only Phoenix Suns player able to do so being Chris Paul.
Furthermore, seven of the top ten players for defensive win share are from the Milwaukee Bucks, including all five starters and Pat Connaughton.
#2 Playoff experience
There was always some doubt over the Phoenix Suns ability to have a deep run in the playoffs considering their lack of postseason experience beyond Chris Paul and Jae Crowder. While they have proven their critics wrong, the Milwaukee Bucks undoubtedly have more experience on the floor playing in the spotlight.
The Milwaukee Bucks have failed to live up to expectations in recent years. The star-studded team, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo, who has twice topped the Eastern Conference in the regular season, had not made the NBA Finals. Furthermore, they were knocked out by the Miami Heat last year after a devastating 4-1 semi-final series.
With all of that adversity came experience, though, and a determination to flip the script. Antetokounmpo was not swayed by trade rumors prior to the season's beginning, and the organization brought in P.J. Tucker, a rugged defender who knows his role on the team as a leader.
#3 Khris Middleton and Antetokounmpo's partnership
A lot can be said for the partnership of Chris Paul and Devin Booker in the playoffs. While Paul's leadership has been immense, the two may not be able to compete against Antetokounmpo and Middleton's offensive potency.
Both Milwaukee Bucks stars have averaged over 23 points so far in the playoffs, and Middleton has shown he can take up the reins while the Greek was sidelined. Combining the two players' scoring averages against the Phoenix Suns duo sees Middleton and Antetokounmpo putting up six more points and connecting with 3.5% more field-goal attempts.
They also have the advantage of having played together for eight years and knowing each other's games inside out. It will certainly be an intriguing battle throughout the series.
#4 Size advantage
There's no doubting this will be a gritty series and we have already gone over the Milwaukee Bucks' defensive qualities. But who wins could come down to the finest margins and the Bucks size will definitely play a part in their efforts to triumph.
They have both Brook Lopez at 7-foot and Antetokounmpo at 6'11" on the frontcourt, with Khris Middleton at 6-foot-7 grabbing eight boards per game. The Bucks currently lead all teams who have played in the playoffs for rebounds, grabbing 49.9 per matchup, almost six more than the Phoenix Suns. While Milwaukee is ranked top for offensive boards, the Suns are currently bottom with just 8.3 per game.
#5 Giannis Antetokounmpo's superstar status
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only true superstar in the series. Granted, there is still a question mark over his ability. However, he is the only player who could truly change the outcome of this contest for the Milwaukee Bucks if he wanted to.
There was a certain amount of criticism thrown at the Greek for not picking up Kevin Durant in their semi-final series. Though, as the Brooklyn Nets star proved, there would be little luck if any player in the league could mark him. Antetokounmpo will have no such issues in this contest and will likely be tasked with guarding the smaller Jae Crowder while also helping to keep DeAndre Ayton quiet.
Milwaukee will be mindful of Chris Paul's trickery at pick-and-roll, but Giannis has proven in the past that his defensive ability is elite. He is the only player in the series to have won an MVP award and moreover was voted into the NBA's All-Defensive First Team yet again this year.
