NBA: Ranking the top 5 Eastern Conference contenders
No.1: Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are the defending champions, and they haven’t shown any sign of slowing down. They have had their fair share of injuries, with Brook Lopez missing nearly the entire season, but as the team begins to get healthy once again, they are most certainly the team to beat in the East.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is set to finish top three in MVP voting once again. The last time the league saw him in the playoffs, he scored 50 in Game 6, winning a championship for his team. There’s nobody on any of these teams that can stop Giannis – they can try, but his combination of size and athleticism has proven to be the toughest cover in the league.
The supporting cast of Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton are two-way players that can fit alongside anyone, being able to guard multiple positions while hitting shots from beyond the arc.
The entire core is back from last season except for P.J. Tucker (who could be a crucial loss), but it’s hard to put anyone else as the top contender as of now.
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The East runs through Milwaukee.