5 Advantages Bucks have over every other East team
By Tyler Watts
2. Top-end talent
The East is littered with All-Stars, but not many teams can say they have multiple on the same roster. Miami has Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The Pacers feature Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. Philadelphia has Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The Knicks have two All-Stars, and the Cavaliers have three, but two teams have more.
Milwaukee features Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Brook Lopez, and Khris Middleton. Only the Celtics come even close with Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford. KP and Horford haven’t been All-Stars since 2018. It has been longer for Brook Lopez, but each team has three current stars still in their prime.
The Bucks kept Middleton over Holiday this summer. Damian Lillard has proven he can be a top-ten player in the world, and Jaylen Brown has not quite reached those heights. Boston’s current Big 3 may be slightly better given Middleton’s injuries, but Milwaukee still has an edge.
The Bucks separate by having the Greek Freak. He is the best player in the Eastern Conference and arguably the top in the world. Tatum is making a push but has not quite lifted himself to that level. Having the top option is massive when the games matter most.