The Milwaukee Bucks are finding their groove. They fired Adrian Griffin and brought in Doc Rivers as head coach to right their ship. Milwaukee leads the league in defensive rating since the All-Star break and is back to second in the Eastern Conference. It is a championship or bust season. The Bucks have the talent and are finally starting to show it on the floor.
It was a bold move trading for Damian Lillard, but they needed to prove to Giannis Antetokounmpo that the franchise was all-in on winning. If the Bucks falter in the playoffs more changes will come. It will be a pressure-packed stretch run. The title is within reach, but Milwaukee must go out and take it.
The NBA is loaded with talent and the race is wide open. Boston is the favorite in the East and will have homecourt, but do not count on Giannis and the Bucks. Milwaukee must play to their strengths to get to the NBA Finals, and here are some advantages they can look to exploit.
5. Championship experience
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to the championship in 2021. It may feel like a long time ago, but they are the most recent team in the Eastern Conference to win it all. The Raptors won the title in 2019, but are not making the playoffs. Cleveland was the last East team before that in 2016. The Celtics made it to the NBA Finals in 2022, but haven’t won a championship since 2008.
Jayson Tatum does not have a ring. Joel Embiid has never even played in the conference finals. Jimmy Butler is still searching for his first title. The Bucks have won it all. Damian Lillard does not have a ring, but the other stars in Milwaukee know how to get there. It is a massive advantage that the Bucks need to use.
It is not the only area where the Milwaukee Bucks are the best team in the conference, and they must find ways to use them to their advantage.