Chemistry
With the score tied at two points apiece, our final round will dictate which team is truly the best in the east. For this round, we will be breaking down the chemistry or the fit of each team, this is because championship teams need to have good chemistry and every player should fit well together to be successful.
Starting with the Buck, they had the leagues best record last season, and a lot of the credit must be given to system they ran. The Bucks ran a great pace and space system that led them to a 60-win season and a trip to the Conference Finals.
Therefore because the Bucks are essentially returning with the same roster, same system, and coaching staff from last season, it is very likely that their great chemistry from last season will be even better this season.
Also as mentioned earlier, the Bucks acquired players who really fit into coach Budenholzer’s system. They signed veteran players who can shoot and spread the floor but are also long and athletic players who can defend multiple positions. This will help ensure these new players fit right in, thus making the Bucks a more cohesive unit at the start of the season.
As for the Sixers, they made a lot of changes to their roster as the latest iteration of the team is now the second time in five months that the Sixers have changed two-thirds of their roster. Last season, the team did well defensively but ultimately fell short on their title aspirations. The main issue with making a lot of roster changes is that the team needs time to gel and mesh together. Which means the Sixers probably won’t start the season well which can hurt them with seeding come playoff time.
Although on paper the Sixers roster looks impressive, there are still many questions that need to be answered. For instance what system are they going to run, as last season they really had no definitive system put in place?
Also, who is going to be the No. 1 option on the team as the Sixers have three star-level players whom they can rely upon. Finally, the Sixers have a lot of wing players so how will coach Brett Brown manage all the minutes while also giving everyone a consistent role.
Overall, the Sixers have a lot of questions that need time to be answered, and as mentioned earlier for a team to win a championship they need to function as one cohesive unit. Therefore, the final point of this comparison has to go to the Bucks as there are far fewer questions about their fit than the Sixers.
So the title of best in the East still belongs to the Milwaukee Bucks, although the Sixers put up a competitive fight the Bucks were able to edge them out with their consistency and overall construction of their team.
That does not necessarily mean the Sixers won’t be a good team, it simply means that heading into the 2019-20 season the Bucks should be the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference.
Sixers – 2 vs. Bucks – 3
Buck WIN!!!