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How the Toronto Raptors match up against the top of the East

By Hunter Surphlis

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 8: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers plays defense against Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors on December 8, 2019 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 8: Ben Simmons #25 of the Philadelphia 76ers plays defense against Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors on December 8, 2019 at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Toronto Raptors – Pascal Siakam (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Toronto Raptors – Pascal Siakam (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

Milwaukee Bucks

It’s only right to start at the top.

The Bucks have far and away been the best team in the East and have a strong case for being the best team in the NBA.

For the second straight year, they’re dominating on both ends of the floor, holding the best defensive rating and the second-best offense. I bet you can guess where they sit in terms of net rating.

That success has translated into a lot of wins by a lot of points. Their point differential of 12.7 is by far the best in the league. They’ve been great all year, but especially as of late, winning 19 of their last 20 games.

There are the Bucks then there’s the rest of the East.

Better Player

Giannis Antetonkoumpo is the best player in pretty much any game he plays. There’s maybe, maybe one or two guys in the conversation for being better than him and even that’s a stretch. Barring any injuries, he’s primed to win his second straight MVP this season.

Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for Pascal Siakam. Spicy P might have a seat at the MVP table, but he’s not exactly in the conversation.

Offense, defense, the edge goes to the Greek Freak.

Better Supporting Cast

The Bucks supporting cast isn’t necessarily any better than the Raptors. However, everyone around Giannis is perfect for the way their team plays basketball.

The Raptors second to fifth-best guys as a whole have the talent advantage over that of the Bucks. They just don’t fit into the Raptors system as perfectly as the Khris Middleton’s and Brook Lopez’s of the world.

For that reason, the Bucks edge out in this one.

Better Coach

Nick Nurse outcoached Mike Budenholzer in last year’s Conference Finals. So, it would be stupid to go the other way now.

Nurse is miles more creative, and so far this season has surgically put together defensive schemes to slow down the other team’s best players at an effective rate. That’s the exact thing you’ll need to do to stop this version of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Long story short, the Bucks are the better team. They’re going to finish with another 60-plus win season and their best player is on track to winning the MVP. This one’s a no-brainer.

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