Will the Bucks, Nuggets rise?
The Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets have been the two most surprising teams in the NBA this season, and I don’t think anyone would argue with that.
The Bucks came out of nowhere in the Eastern Conference and have been sitting atop it for the better-part of the year, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo who in his own right is a real MVP candidate.
The Nuggets have essentially been exactly that in the Western Conference, and are currently two games back of the Warriors. Nikola Jokic continues to develop into one of the better No. 1’s in the NBA, and Jamal Murray has had a career year at the same time. Both the Nuggets and Bucks sport top 10 offenses and defenses, and are top 5 in net rating.
The stats suggest that these two teams will be factors heading into the season, but neither of them have really been tested in the playoffs. And generally, in the NBA, that has to happen before teams see the top of the mountain. Will the Bucks or Nuggets be the exception?