Beyond the Toronto Raptors: Previewing an exciting Central Division

Milwaukee Bucks

Key departures: Malcolm Brogdon, Nikola Mirotic

Key additions: Robin Lopez, Wesley Matthews

There is no hiding it, the Milwaukee Bucks are one of the best teams in the league right now. Ever since Giannis Antetokounmpo put some weight on and has seemed to look unstoppable when he has the room to move, the Bucks have upgraded to a level that few teams are at.

Milwaukee will be ever more invested in their 2019-20 team than prior years after being knocked out of the playoffs by the Toronto Raptors. Because of this, Bucks fans are expecting a Finals appearance in 2020. The only other team that could take this opportunity away from them in the East would be the Philadelphia 76ers.

Offensive outlook

The bucks haven’t had too many many shifts in their main scorers. They were able to pick up some extra three-point shooters in Wesley Matthews and Kyle Korver. NBA fans know that Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Eric Bledsoe will still be the first, second, and third scoring options. But after that, there is a multitude of players on the roster that could add ten to twenty points on any given night.

With the departure of Brogdon and Mirotic, Bucks fans can expect Pat Connaughton and Ersan İlyasova to be given a bit more opportunity to shoot the ball. There is also a large chance that George Hill is given the chance to continue the hot playoff streak that he had offensively where he was averaging 11.5 points-per-game while shooting 41.7 percent from the three.

There is little chance that the Bucks offensive abilities take a dip in the upcoming season. They have maintained their strength from inside and outside by putting together a team that can score the ball from anywhere on the floor. Their depth, size, and sheer talent are going to cause a lot of damage this season to any opponent they face.

Defensive outlook

The Bucks ended the 2018-19 season as one of the top-two teams defensively. There are still a lot of defensive pieces that remain on the Bucks 2019-20 roster. The team is built with a lot of length and height which causes match-up nightmares for nearly every team.

There are a couple of players that will stand out within the defensive zones this year. Giannis will, of course, be a major part of the defense after a season of averaging 1.3 steals and 1.5 blocks and Lopez can still offer above-average rim protection.

There is also a lot of ‘grind it out’ players that can provide the necessary defensive plays.  İlyasova is one that will continue to take charges that can cause major momentum changes in a game. He has a defensive mentality, similar to Kyle Lowry, that is needed at times on a championship-caliber team.

Projected Record: 63-19

There is a good chance that the Bucks can get a better record this season. The east has balanced out a bit more but has left the Bucks at the top looking down. The only major match-up is the Sixers who could steal a few games from them.

Because a lot of the team has stuck together, with the exception of a couple of shifts, the team will be able to start the season running with strong chemistry.

This year the Bucks chances of getting to the NBA Finals and winning a ring are higher than ever. They have been and will remain one of the main powerhouses of the East. Milwaukee fans have a lot to look forward to.