It’s an understood fact throughout the NBA landscape that the 2022 Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics could’ve went a lot different if Khris Middleton was apart of the festivities. Alas, such a hypothetical can never be determined since the 2022 Playoffs are now a thing of the past.
What can be breached conversationally is this topic; Who are legitimate eastern conference threats that can deter a 2023 NBA Finals run for the Milwaukee Bucks? With the offseason nearing its eventual close, many teams around the league are pretty much set in stone with the exception of some obvious trade fodder that is in limbo (Cough,cough Kyrie and KD). While this article has a strong chance of being outdated through the execution of another blockbuster trade, here are the aforementioned threats out east to another Milwaukee title run.
Tier One (The Legitimate Problem): The Boston Celtics
Boston is the reigning east champs thanks to a 3-2 series comeback over the bucks that punched its ticket to their fourth conference final in six years. The core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart is as talented and tough as they come with even more room to grow in the coming years.
Where the team has made itself into an even bigger problem is by addressing their few roster issues. Remember when consistent bench shooting was a dilemma for the celtics throughout last season? Adding Danilo Gallinari from free agency helps rectify that weakness. The biggest transaction for the squad this offseason has to be trading for former bucks’ and pacers‘ floor general Malcolm Brogdon. His addition to the team creates a potential starting five that now has a steady hand at the one who can get the best out of everyone’s offensive game.
These moves clearly highlight the celtics as the blatant threat to a Milwaukee championship parade. One can expect the two projected titans to clash once again for conference supremacy throughout the upcoming season.
Tier Two (Looming Adversaries)
1. The Miami Heat
The Bucks V. Heat playoff rivalry didn’t get to re-establish itself for a third consecutive year, because Milwaukee was eliminated a round too early. Nonetheless, heat nation is still a credible adversary that Milwaukee needs to keep an eye on for the upcoming NBA campaign.
While the loss of PJ Tucker in free agency could eventually come back to haunt the heat later (Trust me, Milwaukee felt it later in the 2022 playoffs), they still feature their timely veteran alpha in Jimmy Butler and an ever-improving multidimensional small-ball big in Bam Adebayo. Those two All-Stars will always pose a challenge during a best-of-seven series thanks to their versatility, tenacity and relentlessness.
The reason Miami is not a tier one threat is due to valid concerns about their starting backcourt. Kyle Lowry’s best days may have been left behind in Toronto, and Tyler Herro peaked in the playoffs for a second straight year (albeit injuries seemed to get the best of him during the heat’s conference final run). The issues can be rectified through in-house improvements from their starting guards or via a trade for a very specific shooting guard residing in Salt Lake City .
2. The Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embid’s biggest deterrence from overall dominance at the center position is his health. After leading the league in scoring during the regular season, Embid carried that momentum through the first three games of the NBA Playoffs by tormenting the undersized Toronto Raptors into a 3-0 series deficit.
Then, the injuries compiled on Embid from Game 4 of the first round to the Sixers eventual Game 6 semifinals collapse against the Miami Heat. By then, Embid had a fractured orbital and torn ligaments in his hand that severely limited his effectiveness against better playoff competition.
When Embid is right, Philly is a serious contender out east. The problem is, he’s annually not right at the worst times, and his supporting cast isn’t reliable enough to pick up the slack. Their chances of being a tier one threat to the bucks depends on the Kansas standout surviving the postseason unscathed, and his supporting cast pitching in with valuable help. Tyrese Maxey is a rising star, but he alone can’t serve as Embid’s supporting cast. Resurgence seasons from either Tobias Harris or Future Hall Of Famer James Harden are vital for a Philadelphia breakthrough.
3. The Brooklyn Nets?
Summer League is nearing a close and Kevin Durant as well as Kyrie Irving are still on the Brooklyn roster. It’s hard to imagine both not going into the upcoming season as teammates despite Durant’s trade demands and Kyrie’s moodiness.
The next step is configuring how their roster fits altogether, and while they are talented on paper, the questions literally right themselves. Can Kyrie stay committed to the grind of an in-season NBA athlete all year long? Has Ben Simmons fought through his psychological demons to be an effective contributor on the basketball court again? Is Kevin Durant still a reliable top-10 talent that can win a championship even at the age of 34?
The reality is….. we just don’t know the answers right now. Durant and Irving could make it into the new season together, but literally not finish it in one piece due to bad luck and/or self-destruction.
Tier Three (The Darkhorse): Toronto Raptors
Toronto surprised a lot of the collective basketball world in 2022 by finishing as a top-five seed in the conference despite being projected outside of the playoff picture altogether. For an encore performance in 2023, the expectation has to be they’ll progress even more with further improvements from their Barnes–Siakam–Vanvleet core.
How they matchup against the Bucks in a playoff setting is intriguing. They’re an undersized team who uses their frontcourt players’ wingspans to create barriers in the paint. Milwaukee has added the shooting outside to counteract a potential Giannis wall, but if the treys don’t fall an inevitable rockfight will ensue on the floor.
The raptors are a tier three threat out east for Milwaukee largely due to two reasons: Shooting and Size. Rim protection is required to have a fighting chance against an imminent Giannis drive, and Toronto currently doesn’t possess that or the offensive firepower from deep to be a tier two or one threat.
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