Are the Milwaukee Bucks favorites to win the Eastern Conference?
By Jacob Nett
Where do the Milwaukee Bucks stand among Eastern Conference competition?
Last, but certainly not least, we get to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Bucks were the Eastern Conference champs in 2021, Milwaukee looks ready to make a return to the top of the NBA mountain. This off-season they didn’t make a ton breaking news but in their case they didn’t have to. If Khris Middleton was healthy they would have had a great opportunity to get back to the Finals in back to back seasons, maybe even win it. So simply just keeping a few key guys and adding another veteran shooter was all they needed.
Milwaukee re-signed Bobby Portis, Pat Connaughton and Wesley Mathews, three key core players after the big three. The Bucks then signed free agent Joe Ingles who is coming off a torn ACL in his left knee, Ingles is a bit of a wild card. If he can come back and be 80-90% of what he once was he will be a tremendous fit for this team with his ability to shoot, and be an effective passer in the pick and roll it will be really tough for other teams to match the Bucks’ fire power when you consider they have the best player in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo. We know the Bucks have an All-NBA defender in Jrue Holiday running the show and multiple players to use at shooting guard.
Brook Lopez should be healthy and ready to return to his position of anchoring the Milwaukee Bucks’ defense. Add in guys like Marjon Beauchamp and Sandro Mamukelashvili who could add more bench scoring, Bucks could legitimately be the deepest team in the league!
The winner is the Milwaukee Bucks, according to this year’s ESPN survey and echoed by many, the Bucks have the best player in the game, Giannis Antetokounmpo, add in the always under-appreciated Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday you have one of the best big threes in the sport. This team has championship DNA and is led by the hungriest superstar, who is just starting his prime.
The same survey that named Giannis as the NBA’s best player was split on whether the Milwaukee Bucks or Boston Celtics would represent the Eastern Conference in the 2023 NBA Finals.
Next. Milwaukee Bucks: 3 Bold Predictions for Khris Middleton. dark
2023 will be a great year around the NBA, also another year of watching Giannis and company crush the east on their way to their second finals in three seasons. Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.