"They have championship DNA, the best player in the world" - Nick Wright picks Eastern Conference heavyweights to "crush" the East in NBA playoffs
Thanks to Giannis Antetokounmpo's game-saving block, the Milwaukee Bucks stunned the Philadelphia 76ers 118-1116 in a battle of the NBA's top teams.
A lot was at stake as the end of the regular season approaches. The top four teams in the Eastern Conference are all within one-and-a -alf games of each other. The Bucks (47-28) jumped to second place, while the 76ers (46-29) dropped to fourth Tuesday night.
Despite the East being extremely competitive, FS1's Nick Wright sees the Bucks easily reaching the NBA Finals again:
"I don't think the Sixers should feel badly about that game. I think they should say, 'Hey, we went up against the team that is going to win the NBA title for the second-straight year.'"
After being a middle-of-the-pack team for most of the season, the Bucks have turned it on lately. They have won 11 of their last 14 games and are fully healthy for the first time all year with the return of starting center Brook Lopez (back injury).
Based on these factors, Wright feels the defending champs will have little competition once the postseason begins.
"These NBA playoffs are going to be wildly competitive across both conferences up and down the board, except for series involving Milwaukee, because they're going to crush everyone."
"The Bucks are about to gentleman's sweep the East. ... They're going to crush everyone. They have championship DNA, the best player in the world, a supporting cast & they never blink. I don't think they get to a Game 6 & I know they're not getting to a Game 7." — @getnickwright https://t.co/tt44tTw85Q
Milwaukee Bucks have all the pieces to make another run at the NBA title
Coming off last season's championship, Milwaukee did a great job of keeping its core intact. All their star players are under long-term contracts. And they have managed to retain key members of the supporting cast, like Bobby Portis, in free agency.
Losing P.J. Tucker to the Miami Heat was a minor blow, but the Bucks front office was able to replace him with veteran big man Serge Ibaka at the trade deadline.
On top of a strong supporting cast, Milwaukee's franchise cornerstone continues to be among the best players on the planet. Giannis Antetokounmpo is once again in the running for MVP, while posting absurd averages of 29.9 points, 11.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
Wright feels the Bucks – with their star's play, a strong supporting cast and their championship experience – are a no-brainer pick to represent the East in the NBA Finals:
"No one in the East can throw a scare in Milwaukee. In the West we will see what happens in the NBA Finals."
While the East has multiple teams who can make a run at the championship, Milwaukee is still the team to beat. Their roster makeup will allow them to shapeshift in the postseason, and few opponents have the personnel to contain a player like Antetokounmpo.
The Bucks are getting hot at the right time, which should scare the NBA's other top teams. They might not walk through teams as easily as Wright predicted, but Milwaukee is primed to take home its second-straight championship.