The Milwaukee Bucks are back atop the Eastern Conference and are the favorites to win the championship. Giannis Antetokounmpo is playing like the MVP and averaging over 30 points per game for the first time in his NBA career. Getting and staying healthy is the top priority as the Bucks look for their second championship in three years.
Getting back to the playoffs for the seventh straight year means facing plenty of familiar foes, including some that used to play in the Cream City. Which of their former players could be foes in the 2023 NBA Playoffs?
For the sake of this article, the focus is just on the Eastern Conference. The Bucks can only face one team from the Western Conference, and it is a wide-open race. There are just too many options to narrow down for who comes out of the opposite conference, so here are four they could face in the East. Here are 4 former Bucks that could face their old team in the NBA Playoffs.
4 Former Bucks Milwaukee might have to face in the playoffs: 4. Robin Lopez, Cleveland Cavaliers
Robin joined his twin brother Brook in Milwaukee for the 2019-2020 season. Brook was the starting center with Robin backing up. RoLo averaged 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game during his lone season with the Bucks. He traveled to the bubble but only played in the first three playoff games before being a DNP-CD for the remainder of the postseason.
In the 2020 offseason, Robin signed with the Washington Wizards, and he is now on his third different team after signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the summer of 2022. Lopez is more of an emergency big man that is likely to be outside the Cavs’ playoff rotation.
How the Bucks can face the Cavaliers in the NBA Playoffs:
Cleveland is on pace to finish as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and they would play the Bucks if both teams win their first-round series. Milwaukee will face the winner of the third and final Play-In Tournament game, and the Cavaliers are set to take on the Knicks in the opening round. Both the Bucks and Cavs will be heavily favored to win their first series and advance to play each other in round two.
4 Former Bucks Milwaukee might have to face in the playoffs: 3. P.J. Tucker, Philadelphia 76ers
Tucker only had a short stint in Milwaukee, but he played a vital role on their title-winning squad. The Bucks traded for him at the deadline in 2021 to help bolster their defense, and Tucker did just that.
He played under 20 minutes per game to close out the regular season but pushed close to 30 a night in the playoffs as Milwaukee used him to guard the opposition’s best scorer in nearly every series. It resulted in giving Giannis a bit more energy on the offensive end of the floor, and the Bucks’ second championship in franchise history.
Tucker left in free agency to join the Miami Heat before moving to Philadelphia to reunite with James Harden and Daryl Morey in the 2022 offseason. Fans can bet Tucker will be asked to guard the Greek Freak if the two teams square off in the postseason.
How the Bucks can face the 76ers in the NBA Playoffs:
The Sixers are on pace to finish third in the East, which means they would only face the Milwaukee Bucks in the conference finals. It will be a tall order for both teams to get there. The Bucks would have to defeat whichever team advances through the Play-In Tournament before topping Cleveland or New York in round two. The Sixers would also have to win two series, including defeating the Celtics in the second round.
4 Former Bucks Milwaukee might have to face in the playoffs: 2. Tobias Harris, Philadelphia 76ers
Fans may not remember that Harris started his career with the Bucks. He was the 19th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Bobcats, but a three-team draft night trade landed him in Milwaukee. Harris struggled to find a role as a rookie, and he was traded in Feb. of 2013 to the Magic as Milwaukee added J.J. Redick, Ish Smith, and Gustavo Ayon in hopes of bolstering their playoff odds.
Harris immediately took off after arriving in Orlando where he averaged 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.4 blocks in 36.1 minutes per game to close out the 2012-13 season. Ever since he has played over 30 minutes per game and has been a key contributor.
Harris was traded to the Sixers in 2019 where he has helped them reach the playoffs four straight years. Philadelphia has reached the second round three times, but they are looking to break through this season.
Joel Embiid is playing like the MVP, and James Harden gives the 76ers one of the best offensive duos in the league. Throw in Harris and Tyrese Maxey, and no team is eager to face Philly in the postseason. Will fans finally get a Sixers versus Bucks playoff matchup? Only if both teams reach the conference finals.
4 Former Bucks Milwaukee might have to face in the playoffs: 1. Malcolm Brogdon, Boston Celtics
The Bucks got the steal of the draft in 2016 as Malcolm Brogdon slipped into the second round. Milwaukee was waiting at 36th overall, and it was an instant fit. The 6’5 guard immediately jumped into the rotation and was a key part of the Bucks reaching the postseason. Brogdon won Rookie of the Year, but Milwaukee was bounced by the Raptors in the first round of the playoffs.
The second-round pick only lasted three seasons with the Bucks. They reached the conference finals in 2019 before Brogodon was signed and traded to the Pacers for three draft picks. Milwaukee could not afford to keep him, but it looked like a bad trade at the moment. Brogdon was a key piece of the team’s success, but Milwaukee won a championship without him just two years later.
Brogdon was traded to the Celtics in 2022 for a first-round pick, and he is currently the sixth man in Boston behind Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown.
How the Bucks can face the Celtics in the NBA Playoffs:
Boston figures to be the number two seed in the East, and most experts are predicting it will be the Bucks versus the Celtics in the conference finals. It was a seven-game series in the second round of the playoffs last year that Boston narrowly won on their way to the NBA Finals. Expect a rematch in 2023.
The Milwaukee Bucks are ready to make another run for the title. Can Giannis win his second championship? How many of his former teammates will he have to defeat along the way? Stay tuned to find out.