The Giannis era in Milwaukee is likely coming to an end soon
After a truly forgettable start to the regular season, the Milwaukee Bucks have quietly begun to play good basketball. The Bucks have eight of their last nine games are are currently on a six-game winning streak with a soft portion of the schedule coming up. To add even more momentum to the team's recent play is the fact that Khris Middleton is on the verge of returning from injury. However, despite their improved play of late, I do believe there is one conclusion that we can draw about the Bucks.
And it's the fact that Giannis Antetokounmpo's era in Milwaukee is probably coming to an end. With how the team has looked each of the past two seasons in the postseason and with the unlikelihood that the Bucks are going to win a championship this year, it's safe to assume that Giannis is likely to explore other options in the not-so-distant future. The Bucks don't have a ton of pathways to drastically improve a roster that is not ready to compete for a championship. Giannis knows this and so do the Bucks. It feels like the end of an era is near.
The Dallas Mavericks are struggling as West champs
Heading into the start of the season, many were expecting the Dallas Mavericks to emerge as one of the favorites in the Western Conference. While the Mavs have been solid to begin the year, this is a team that has continued to struggle to find much consistency. Some of that could be attributed to integrating Klay Thompson into the starting 5 but some of it also has to do with the fact that the team is struggling with huge expectations on their shoulders. When the Mavs have been at their best, it's come as an underdog.
Dallas is everything but that this season and it's interesting to see how they've struggled a bit with those types of expectations. Nevertheless, because of the continued inconsistency of the Western Conference, no team is running away with anything. And as long as the Mavs can get to the postseason healthy, they're going to have a puncher's chance to win the West. But with the way things appear as of now, there's no question that this team is struggling with expectations to begin the year.