Milwaukee Bucks Roundtable: Early season reactions and predictions
By Ben Rauman
Q4. How many All-Stars do you expect the Bucks to have this year?
DB: I think the safe bet would be just one: Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, if the Bucks continue to sit around the second or third seed a second all-star would be warranted. That would surely have to be Khris Middleton considering how he has been playing this season so far.
JT: I still feel pretty confident that the Bucks will have two All-Stars this year, those being Giannis and Khris Middleton. The Bucks’ strong start has already made waves around the league, which is obviously key to any discussion about players who deserve All-Star consideration. With Giannis being close to a shoo-in, it’ll be interesting to see how much of that will trickle down to Middleton, should he keep up his level of production to start the year and the Bucks hold this level of play once All-Star talk bubbles up over the next few weeks.
AM: This all really depends on the Bucks’ record. I think it’s very likely that Middleton could get there, although Jimmy Butler landing in the East certainly complicates his path. If the Bucks can keep up their current form and be among the clear top two teams in the East, the door may open for others as well.
If Brook Lopez keeps shooting the lights out, how many centers are realistically better than him in the East? Strong campaigns from Brogdon or Bledsoe could even catapult them into consideration for injury reserve slots when they inevitably become a talking point. Team success weighs so heavily on the selections that outside of the true superstar that is Giannis, the rest is going to depend on how Milwaukee plays between now and February.
RC: As much as I would love to see Lopez shoot his way to Charlotte, only Giannis and Middleton have clear pathways to the All-Star game. Middleton doesn’t even need to improve his stats really to get his first nod, the fact the Bucks are winning and everyone’s talking about them should boost him to a reserve selection.
The really big question is if Giannis will be the top vote-getter in the East, which would mean he’d be the captain and draft his team for the first televised All-Star draft! Who would Giannis choose first, assuming LeBron is the other captain? Durant? Curry? Kawhi? I’ve already thought about this too much.
BP: I think Giannis and Khris both make it this year. While I am looking forward to watching Giannis pick his team on national television, he is the lock and that’s a boring given. However, in the past, it seems like the coaches have always wanted to reward good teams with additional All-Stars. Khris could probably maintain his current raw stats and have a good case to make it to Charlotte, even with Jimmy Butler switching conferences.
JK: Go big or go home! Heeding this advice, I will refuse to return to my living quarters and predict that three Bucks will become 2018-19 All-Stars. Giannis is a surefire candidate and Khris Middleton is bound to get the respect he’s deserved since last year. The third will either be Bledsoe or Lopez.
The Bucks will continue their hot start throughout the year and finally get some respect from the All-Star voters. A top-3 team in the conference cannot possibly have just one All-Star. With this added respect, voters will turn for a serious look at the Bucks roster.
Another factor is the weak competition Bucks hopefuls face at each position. The West boasts significantly more talent and with the inevitable slew of injuries, Bledsoe or Lopez could quickly rise to the top of the Eastern Conference positional rankings.
BR: Maybe I’m just drinking the Kool-Aid of this hot start, but Jacob’s got a point. Fire up the hot take cannon because I’m launching three Bucks into the All-Star Game!
Remember when Bud’s 2015 Hawks team sent four players to All-Star Weekend? Granted, they had 60 wins that year, but, well, the Bucks are 10-3 and have had the toughest schedule in the league up to this point. I mean, I’m not saying the Bucks will get 60 wins, but I’m not saying they won’t get 60 wins!
The point is, when a team like the Bucks exceeds expectations and has a really successful season, its rewarded with multiple All-Star selections. Giannis is the obvious selection. I think Middleton will get a well-deserved selection, too, even with Butler switching conferences.
But who will be the third, you may ask? It will be none other than Splash Mountain, the third splash brother Brook Lopez! Like Adam said, there aren’t many centers better than Lopez in the East, and if he continues to make it rain from downtown, I think he’ll get enough of the national media spotlight to make a strong bid if Milwaukee keeps up its blistering pace.