How The Bucks Compare: An Early Eastern Conference Primer

Feb 2, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Milwaukee Bucks guard

(19) dribbles the ball around Toronto Raptors guard

(7) during the second quarter at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Toronto Raptors

Last Season: 49-33 (4th, First Round)

Player Additions: DeMarre Carroll, Luis Scola, Bismack Biyombo, Cory Joseph, Delon Wright, Norman Powell, Ronald Roberts

Player Subtractions: Lou Williams, Greivis Vasquez, Amir Johnson, Greg Stiemmsma, Landry Fields, Tyler Hansbrough, Chuck Hayes

2015-16 Outlook

It’s hard to get a read on the Raptors. In some ways though, it feels like they are a good, not great team that’s starting to stagnate.

After getting humiliated by the Washington Wizards in the first round of the playoffs, I’m not sure if anyone would have been surprised if the Raptors had really blown things up, or looked to make a truly big splash.

In other words, you sort of had to feel like they would do something drastically different in order to bring them closer to their title dreams, whether it be now, or a couple of years down the line. But the Raptors didn’t do that. Sure, they made changes, but did they really move the needle?

DeMarre Carroll was a player who had long been labeled as an excellent defender, but last year in a career season where he was instrumental to an outstanding Atlanta Hawks team, he showed what he could do offensively too.

Carroll can be an elite role player, but until proven otherwise, there’ll be questions over whether it was the Hawks, or Carroll himself who was behind his newfound success. Either way, to go and get him, the Raptors were forced to pay.

Adding Bismack Biyombo, Luis Scola and Cory Joseph, Toronto did a nice job of rounding their roster out with NBA talent on different stages of the age scale.

Are the Raptors really better though? Or without the bench scoring of someone like Lou Williams or Greivis Vasquez, could they actually be worse?

In an improving conference, it’s not a good sign when you have that sort of doubt hanging over you.

How The Bucks Compare

The Bucks and Raptors find themselves in two different spots right now, and I guess it’ll depend on your viewpoint which you feel is the stronger of the two.

I feel Milwaukee has the stronger starting lineup, and I’m not even sure it’s that close, what I do know though is that they will have a second unit that is both more proven in the NBA, as well as being more well-rounded.

With Toronto likely going to play small, any potential matchups between the two would have to see the Bucks looking to exploit their length advantage.

Next: Improvements In The Capital