1 advantage Raptors have over all top-four seeds in the East
By Mike Luciano
Bucks: Bench quality
The Bucks may end up as the favorites in the East due to the sheer destructive power that Antetokounmpo possesses. Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton are as good as it gets when it comes to secondary scorers. The rest of the roster, however, might not be ideal.
Assuming Bobby Portis is the starter at center, the two top reserves on this roster might be Brook Lopez (who is declining physically due to age) and Pat Connaughton. George Hill is fresh off a less-than-productive season at age 36, and Joe Ingles is returning from a serious injury.
The Toronto Raptors have a better second unit this year.
The Porter and Boucher returns will be a big boost for Toronto, as will Thad Young’s first full season in Nick Nurse’s system. If Malachi Flynn finally clicks and makes good on his potential, he and Precious Achiuwa will join that group as part of a revitalized bench.
While the Raptors did pull off some wins against Milwaukee this season, some of them came without Giannis on the floor. While the Bucks can easily lean on Giannis to take them home if things get too difficult, there’s something to be said for Toronto overwhelming the Bucks with their second unit.