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After a four month hiatus, Basketball is set to return at the end of July with NBA Playoffs to follow soon after. Twenty two teams would take part in the season restart taking place at the Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
The teams would play out the remainder of the rescheduled regular season followed by the NBA Playoffs and the league hopes that a new NBA Champion will be crowned by October.
There are a handful of teams that have been spectacular during the regular season and are going to be a force to reckon with during the NBA Playoffs. But if one has to talk about that one franchise who have been the team to beat this season, it has to be the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Brilliant Milwaukee Bucks
Many believed that it would be difficult for the Bucks to better their performance from last season, where they finished as the top seed in the east and lost only once in the NBA playoffs , until they met the Toronto Raptors in the Conference Finals and were defeated 4-2. But led by the ‘Greek Freak’ Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee have gone from strength to strength this year and have been the best team in the NBA this season by some margin.
The Bucks are well on their way to finish with the best record in the NBA this season. While Giannis Antetokounmpo has been having another MVP like season, Milwaukee as a team has been equally brilliant on both ends of the floor. The Bucks lead the league in terms of points scored per game and have the best team defensive rating in the regular season as well.
Can Milwaukee Bucks be defeated in the NBA Playoffs 2019-20?
On paper, Milwaukee Bucks look the odds-on favourites to win the East and make their first appearance in the NBA Finals since 1973. However the conference has few other teams as well, who have played solid basketball in the regular season and have been really competitive in the NBA playoffs in recent seasons. We look at the three teams who could throw a serious challenge to Giannis and the Bucks in the Eastern Conference in this years NBA Playoffs.
Philadelphia 76ers
After the heart breaking exit from the NBA Playoffs last season, the Sixers were tipped to do much better this year. With the addition of Al Horford, Philadelphia has arguably the strongest starting five in the Eastern Conference.
But like previous seasons, injuries to their key players like Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons have led to Philadelphia having a below-par regular season by their standards. Sixers currently are a mediocre sixth in the east( no pun intended!)
Defence: Key to Victory
But many feel that Brett Brown’s men could pose a really stern challenge to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA playoffs this year. The one thing which the Sixers have been all season is solid in defense. The 76ers boast of the sixth best defensive rating in the league and a healthy trio of Horford, Embid and Simmons can cause major problems to Milwaukee Bucks in the post season. With the addition of Kyle O’ Quinn they have another ‘Big-Man’ who could be a back up to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo if need be.
Though offence has been a struggle for the Sixers this season, the likes of Embiid, Simmons and Harris have the ability to carry the team on their backs offensively under high pressure situations.
Toronto Raptors
While, Milwaukee Bucks have understandably grabbed the limelight in the East, one can say that the Toronto Raptors have been one of the success stories in the conference this season. Despite losing Kawhi Leonard in the off season, the Raptors have gone from strength to strength and are set to finish second in the East behind the Milwaukee Bucks.
One of the major reasons behind the Raptors success has been the emergence of Pascal Siakam as an elite two-way player this season. Veterans such as Kyle Lowrie and Serge Ibaka have put up excellent numbers as well to provide solid balance to the team across the floor.
Could Milwaukee Crack under Playoff Pressure?
What gives the Raptors a really strong chance to topple the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Playoffs this year is the fact that they have already done it once and they know what it takes to counter one of the best players in the world.
Last season, they came back from a 2-0 deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals against Milwaukee Bucks to beat them 4-2. Moreover they were part of multiple nail biting finishes last post season which speaks volumes of their composure under pressure. This is one aspect which is still a problem for the Milwaukee Bucks and it is something Nick Nurse would be keen to try and test again if they have to play the Bucks at some point in the NBA playoffs this season.
Boston Celtics
Many consider the Boston Celtics to be the dark horse in the East this season. The young Boston team have been there or there about for most of the season and is likely to head into the NBA Playoffs 2019-20 as the third ranked team in the East.
Boston split their regular season series with Milwaukee Bucks one game a piece and one can argue that out of all the Eastern Conference contenders in this year’s NBA Playoffs, Kemba Walker and company have provided the sternest test to the Milwaukee Bucks on the court so far this campaign.
Also Read: NBA Playoffs 2020: 5 franchises that could spring a surprise
Jayson Tatum’s Celtics
The Celtics have lots going for them as they head into the NBA Playoffs this time around. Kemba Walker finally has a set of players around him who can share the scoring load with him on the court. Gordon Hayward is finally coming back to his old self post his horrible leg injury and Enes Kanter has been a revelation at Boston in terms of on court production averaging 8 points and 8 rebounds while playing just 17 minutes per game for the Celtics.
But, the one player who has turned this otherwise good Boston team into a serious contender in the East has been Jayson Tatum. Tatum has emerged as one of the best two-way players in the league this season and was probably the best player in the entire NBA in the last 6 weeks of the regular season before the lockdown.
On paper the Celtics definitely have what it takes to topple the Milwaukee Bucks in case the two teams meet at some point in the NBA Playoffs this season. However, a lot will depend on the Celtic’s defensive ability to keep Giannis under check, something they have not been able to achieve in the regular season games so far.
Guess the Lakers players!
