Heading into the final stretch of the 2020-2021 NBA season, the Milwaukee Bucks have stood at an unfamiliar position compared to the last two years.
The Bucks have been stuck behind the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets in the race for the one seed in the East thus far. Due to the gap between the teams, with the Bucks now 4 games back of the top-seeded 76ers after their 128-115 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies Saturday night, Bucks fans have been wondering if the one seed is as important as many think. However, it could be argued that the one seed is more important than ever this season.
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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teams moved to Orlando for the NBA bubble to end the 2019-2020 NBA season. When the playoffs came around, the incentive for the number one seed went out the window as all teams played in the same location.
The Bucks came into the NBA bubble with a 53-12 record but struggled as the games went on. Milwaukee eventually lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in a 4-1 fashion. Milwaukee was so dominant before the NBA shut down and no home-court advantage was a big contributor to why the Bucks had their struggles throughout. With teams playing at their home stadiums this year, the home-court advantage element has returned and is more important than ever.
Although the Bucks have significant ground to gain, the one seed is still potentially in reach with 16 games to go this season. At this moment, the Bucks are a game back from the Nets and 4 games back from the aforementioned top-seeded 76ers. The Bucks will face both teams a combined four times in the final stretch of the regular season as they look to gain some ground to take the top spot.
Is the top seed more important to the Milwaukee Bucks this year than previous seasons?
As stated earlier, securing home-court advantage throughout the entirety of the playoffs is extremely important now that teams are back in their home stadiums and have a sense of familiarity with teams playing in their home markets again. As it specifically relates to the Eastern Conference, the top three teams have played very well at home this season.
Philadelphia 76ers Records:
Home Games: 22-5 (81.5%)
Road Games: 17-12 (58.6%)
Brooklyn Nets Records:
Home Games: 23-7 (76.7%)
Away Games: 15-11 (57.7%)
Milwaukee Bucks Records:
Home Games: 18-9 (66.7%)
Away Games: 17-12 (58.6%)
As shown above, Philadelphia has the best home record of the top three teams in the Eastern Conference. While the Bucks have the worst home record, it is important to note that they are tied with the 76ers in their road game record as it stands now. The Bucks now have the task of taking away the home-court advantage from the 76ers. If Milwaukee manages to jump both teams for the crown atop the Eastern Conference, they will have a monumental advantage as both the 76ers and Nets shine at home.
At the same time, the last time the top seed in the East reached the NBA Finals was during the 2015-16 season where the Cleveland Cavaliers toppled the Golden State Warriors in seven games that year.
While that may be true, the comfortability and ease knowing that having home-court advantage is a very real thing once again has left the Bucks fighting for what they easily achieved in each of the last two seasons.
To get there, the Bucks will have to go through the 76ers and the Nets in the pair of miniseries games they have lined up with each side. The Bucks are already escaped Philadelphia with their lone overtime victory of the season back on March 17 and while the Bucks fell short against the Nets in a 125-123 loss back on January 18, otherwise known as the start of their ‘Big 3’ era between Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
Due to being this far back of the one-seed in the East with a little less than four weeks to go here this regular season, the Bucks will have to take away a victory in every one of those four meetings to close the gap and have a shot at the top seed. That’s quite the tall task going into their final 16 games, but their schedule eases up after their upcoming series with Brooklyn.
It is easier said than done for the Bucks to round into form, but it still is possible for Milwaukee to make a run and claim the top seed in the East. With the importance of earning the top spot in the East intact once again, all Bucks fans can do now is sit back and watch as an important stretch awaits.