NBA: Which teams are contenders/pretenders at the All-Star Break?

Milwaukee Bucks (43-14)

The Milwaukee Bucks are an interesting team that have remained atop the Eastern Conference for what feels like the majority of the regular season. They have the firepower and defense to compete with any team on any given night. But, I still think don’t think they’re ready for the big stage.

Perhaps I’m completely wrong about the Bucks and suggesting that they’re a pretender, but I’m just not sure this team is ready to make the jump from first-round exit team to NBA Finals team. That’s not generally how it works in the Association.

I think Giannis is a great player, and will continue to be for years to come, but they’re simply a year away from making a real deep run in the Eastern Conference playoffs. I hope they prove me wrong, though. I’d love to see Giannis vs. the Warriors in the NBA Finals.

Verdict: Pretender