From the Is it NBA season already? department.
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That's pretty surprising... most I have seen have them below Boston/Washington and sometimes Toronto. They're capable, though...
I would rank the Top 5 in the East like this:
1) Cleveland, 2) Boston, 3) Toronto, 4) Washington, 5) Milwaukee
Meh rankings never seem to make much sense to me in professional sports.
So I am at best a passive NBA fan (the constant coverage of it has burned me out) but are they playing year round now?
“The goal of winning a championship today is far more real than it was 4 years ago.” — Marc Lasry, Owner #BucksMediaDay
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) September 25, 2017
The East is basically two top teams, a group of 4-5 teams that will be contenders, and a bunch of junk.
The Celtics and Cavs have assembled super-teams that everyone assumes will meet in the conference finals. They should both win 55 games.
The Wizards, Bucks, Hornets, Raptors, and Heat all have the potential to win 50 games.
After the top 7 teams, there is a big dropoff. No one else is projected to win more than 35 games and some usual contenders are actively tanking next year (Pacers, Bulls, Knicks, and Hawks).
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/...-team-2017-18-season
The Bucks have the pieces to make the leap to the Cavs and Celtics level. It will probably come down to 3 things.
1. Can Giannis develop a mid- to long-range jump shot? He's already an all-star. If he can hit consistently from 15-18 feet, he'll be an MVP candidate. If he can hit from 3 consistently, he's a future HOFer.
2. Does Parker return for the playoff run in a form that gives them another offensive weapon? He's potentially Michael Beasley on steroids in terms of offense.
3. Does Thon Maker make a 2nd year leap. He's potentially one of the most physically talented 7 footers I've ever seen and he's only 20 years old.
If these 3 things work out, a rotation of Giannis, Middleton, Brogdon, Maker, Snell, Monroe, and Parker would scare even the Warriors/Rockets/Spurs/Thunder.
I'm not going to hope for much from Teletovic and Henson.