The Brooklyn Nets have the top-end talent. The Philadelphia 76ers made the big offseason moves. But the most legitimate threat to the Boston Celtics might be the team that essentially stood pat this summer.
That would be the Milwaukee Bucks, who are two seasons removed from an NBA championship and took the Celtics to seven games in the 2022 postseason without their second-best scorer in Khris Middleton.
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The Bucks have yet to lose a playoff series with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Jrue Holiday all healthy, and they have plenty of motivation to get back to the Finals after Boston sent them packing in the second round last spring.
So, do the Celtics have enough talent and depth to fend off Milwaukee for a second consecutive season? Let's break down a Bucks squad with serious title potential.
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Editor's Note: Can the Celtics repeat as East champions? Over the past several days, we've examined the East teams that have the best chance of reaching the 2023 NBA Finals. Today's fifth and final team: the Milwaukee Bucks.
Bucks' 2021-22 results
- 51-31 record
- Third in Eastern Conference
- Lost in second round to Boston Celtics (seven games)
Bucks' 2022-23 NBA title odds (via PointsBet)
Boston Celtics
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7/1 (fourth overall, second in East)
Notable offseason acquisitions, departures
Acquisitions: Joe Ingles
Departures: Rayjon Tucker
Projected starting five (2021-22 stats)
- PG: Jrue Holiday (18.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 6.8 apg, 50.1% FG, 41.1% 3PT)
- SG: Grayson Allen (11.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 44.8% FG, 40.9% 3PT)
- SF: Khris Middleton (20.1 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 5.4 apg, 44.3% FG, 37.3% 3PT)
- PF: Giannis Antetokounmpo (29.9 ppg, 11.6 rpg, 5.8 apg, 55.3% FG, 29.3% 3PT)
- C: Brook Lopez (12.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 0.5 apg, 46.6% FG, 35.8% 3PT) (13 games)
Matchups with Celtics in 2022-23
- Dec. 25: Bucks at Celtics
- Feb. 14, 2023: Celtics at Bucks
- March 30, 2023: Celtics at Bucks
How likely are Bucks to finish ahead of C's in East?
The Bucks' No. 1 goal will be prioritizing the health of Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Holiday. They're not afraid to load-manage, even if that strategy cost them home-court advantage in their 2022 playoff series with the Celtics.
So, there's absolutely a world in which Milwaukee coasts to the No. 2, No. 3 or even No. 4 seed despite having the talent to take the East's regular-season crown.
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The Bucks will still win their fair share of games; Brook Lopez should make an impact after missing the majority of last season, while a healthy Joe Ingles would give Milwaukee another floor-spacer to complement Antetokounmpo.
Head coach Mike Budenholzer needs his Big Three healthy, though, and considering Middleton is already expected to miss the first few weeks of the season, we can see the Celtics finishing above the Bucks in the East while Milwaukee takes its foot off the gas.
Who wins in a playoff series: Boston or Milwaukee?
The Celtics' depth saved the day in their last playoff series, with Al Horford dropping 30 points in a Game 4 win and Grant Williams stepping up with 27 points off the bench in a winner-take-all Game 7. Boston should be even deeper this time around with ex-Buck Malcolm Brogdon leading the second unit.
Middleton is a noted Celtics killer, however, and even Boston's elite defense would have its hands full trying to contain him and Antetokounmpo, who wore the C's down over seven games.
In order to beat the Bucks again, the Celtics would need Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to raise their playmaking to another level (while cutting down on the turnovers) and have their role players knock down open 3-pointers.
Having a healthy Robert Williams would help too, of course, and at the end of the day, this series could come down to which team is closest to full strength. The C's have a better second unit, so they get the very slight edge.
Prediction: Celtics in seven