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Milwaukee Bucks: The Lowdown on The Central Division

By Adam Coffman

Mar 23, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) defends Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 23, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) defends Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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With offseason duties taken care of, the NBA is turning its attention to the upcoming season. How will the Milwaukee Bucks fare in comparison to their divisional foes?

Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

Chinese general and military strategist Sun Tzu is credited with making famous the phrase “know thine enemy”, and although he certainly never imagined so, his words apply to the mindsets of both NBA teams and their respective fanbases.

The Milwaukee Bucks project to be competing for a playoff berth next season, so it is in their (and our) best interest to examine how they’ll match up with their competitors, both in the Central Division and across the Eastern Conference.

The Bucks certainly appear to be in a position to improve next season, due not only to a good showing in free agency but also the growth and development of a young core. However, the Central Division has been strong during recent memory, as the Bucks have finished first out of the five member teams only one time since 1986.

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Even in 2014, the season in which first-year head coach Jason Kidd led a top tier defense to the sixth seed in the playoffs, the Bucks finished third in their own division.

Every one of the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, and Indiana Pacers finished last season with a better record than the Bucks, but as we know, life in the NBA can change in an instant, particularly after an offseason that saw a shakeup  of the power dynamic at large.

For the Bucks’ divisional rivals, I’ll mainly focus on the improvements and losses each team has experienced this offseason, as well as a projection of how this relates to their potential success next year when compared to Milwaukee’s.

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