NBA: Buy or sell 5 eye-catching late-season trends that can't be ignored

Late-season trend No. 2: The Milwaukee Bucks have turned a corner

Since the NBA All-Star Break, the Milwaukee Bucks have looked better under head coach Doc Rivers. So much so that they've consistently, over the past 12 games, looked like the second-best team in the Eastern Conference. The big question is whether they'll be able to sustain this level of play heading into the postseason.

Since the All-Star Break, the Bucks are 9-3. They have the fifth-best offensive rating, an improved defensive rating, and a top 6 net rating. The Bucks have certainly looked like a team that is beginning to turn the corner on some of their struggles. But, again, nothing this team does in the regular season will be remembered much. The Bucks are going to be graded on what they do in the postseason.

This has been the case since the start of the season. But over the last few weeks of the regular season, preparing for a postseason run will be essential for Milwaukee. The momentum that the Bucks have built recently is only going to put them in a better position to make a deep run in the playoffs. While I may not be 100 percent sold on the Bucks' recent play, it sure is encouraging.

Verdict: Buy