Now that the NBA’s All-Star weekend is over, the league, and their fans turn their attention towards the final months of the regular season. That means gearing up for the NBA Playoffs. The Bucks, who are 9-3 in their last 12 games, are likely to be one of these playoff teams yet again. Adding to the good news for the Bucks at the moment is that former lottery pick Jabari Parker is back, and has settled in as the first guy off the bench. Following two major ACL injuries, it is unlikely that Parker will ever be the player they thought they were drafting. He can, however, be a dangerous player off the bench for the rest of his career, if he can avoid any more major injuries. So how do the Bucks stack up against other playoff teams?
As it stands at the moment, the Bucks are the 6thseed in the Eastern Conference, which means they would draw the third seed, the Cleveland Cavaliers. That would be the worst possible draw they could get. In a serious of high profile moves, Cleveland redid their team at the trade deadline which “rejuvenated” Lebron James. They have won four in a row and are looking good. I don’t see any ways these Bucks could beat Cleveland. The good news is the Bucks could climb up to the fourth or fifth seed, where they would take on the Wizards or Pacers team, neither of which are that impressive. That is a series the Bucks could win.
The other scenario that could unfold is the Bucks could drop down to the seventh or eighth seed, which means they would get either Boston or Toronto in round one. Of the two they would have a much better chance of beating the Celtics. Cleveland has been playing great, but this Raptors squad is the team to beat in the East. They have been together for a long time, and are better as the season is going along. Meanwhile, experts question if the Celtics can get it done in the big moment in the playoffs due to their team chemistry and structure. Regardless of what happens, the East could be very entertaining come playoff time.
