Milwaukee Bucks: Looking ahead to Raptors/76ers Game 7

As the Milwaukee Bucks wait for an Eastern Conference Finals opponent to emerge, what should you be looking out for in Game 7 between the Raptors and 76ers?

What a position of luxury the Milwaukee Bucks find themselves in.

Having wrapped up their series with the Boston Celtics and securing a spot in the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday, Mike Budenholzer’s team are currently enjoying the chance to rest ahead of their next challenge.

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All the while, the battle to face Milwaukee has been raging on in the East’s other semifinal matchup. In what’s been a closely contested series overall, the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors are set to go the distance. On Sunday in Toronto, the prize for a Game 7 victory will be a series of dates with the Bucks starting from Wednesday.

As a result, Bucks fans will be among the most interested observers when the action gets underway, but what will they likely be keeping an eye out for?

Considering what they’ve seen so far in the playoffs, their history against both teams from the regular season, and the matchups they’d have to deal with, should Milwaukee even have a clear and obvious preference between the two teams?

In truth, the answer to that question is likely a no. The Bucks have dropped only one game in the postseason so far — and could make a strong case that it was no more than an anomaly — while they also prevailed as winners in the regular season series with both of their potential opponents.

Having said that, there are still plenty of elements to take into account for those interested in projecting ahead while watching Game 7 play out.

First and foremost is how the two team’s star players perform, and perhaps even more importantly, what kind of support they get from those around them.

For Toronto, this is likely the make-or-break unknowable hanging over their potential season decider. Kawhi Leonard has enjoyed an exceptional series, consolidating his place as one of the very best players on the planet.

In 39.1 minutes per game against Philly, Leonard is averaging 33.7 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists, while shooting 56.8 percent from the field, 36.1 percent from deep, and 85.5 percent from the stripe. The fact that he’s playing in a Game 7 in spite of those contributions says all that needs to be said about the hit and miss play of his supporting cast.

The Raptors have lacked any real consistency in terms of a second option, with Kyle Lowry and Marc Gasol most guilty of failing to deliver in that regard. If neither of those two, or any other Raptor can step up above their usual level, Leonard may well see constant walls as the Sixers dare his teammates to beat them.

On the other side of the matchup is Joel Embiid, who in spite of struggling with a variety of illnesses and ailments, has had an absurdly positive influence on Philadelphia’s play. Embiid is averaging just 17.0 points and 8.3 rebounds per game in the series, yet he has a plus/minus of +80 and a net rating of 20.9.

Jimmy Butler has been sensational for the 76ers, giving Embiid a clear advantage when compared to the lack of support Leonard is receiving for Toronto. Still, if Embiid can look more like himself on Sunday, the Sixers’ chances of victory will rise exponentially, and they’ll make for a much scarier prospect for the Bucks.

The Bucks will have the far superior depth against either team, so the best players performing, and their supporting stars also delivering, remains one of the most important storylines to keep track of.

Beyond that, in a pure matchup sense, both teams should prove to be a more straightforward matchup for Milwaukee than the Boston Celtics were. The Bucks should believe they could beat either team, and may well prove they could do so somewhat comfortably.

Either winner would add to the narrative for the Bucks too. With the Celtics already dispatched, a chance to beat the Raptors would mean Milwaukee could avenge their past two postseason losses en route to winning the Eastern Conference.

Although this iteration of the Bucks has yet to face the Sixers in the playoffs, that franchise stands as the Bucks’ most notable overall playoff rival alongside the Celtics. With excellent Bucks teams of years gone by having failed to get out of the East due to the brilliance of Boston and Philadelphia, there would be some real poetry in Milwaukee finally breaking through again at their expense.

Of course, it can’t be forgotten that Milwaukee’s last trip to the Conference Finals, back in 2001, led to a controversial seven-game defeat at the hands of the Sixers too. Bucks fans would love to see this team right that wrong, and that’s without even considering the animosity the two teams have displayed in recent meetings either.

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Both Philadelphia and Toronto are good teams, but there’s no reason to believe they’re categorically better than the Bucks. The added history with the the Sixers would make them my pick for the most intriguing Conference Finals foe, but either outcome should set up a thrilling series to emerge from the East.

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