At the start of the 2018-19 NBA season, it was widely believed that the Golden State Warriors would win their third straight championship, especially after they signed DeMarcus Cousins to a one-year deal. These Warriors looked unstoppable on paper — they can field in a five-man lineup of five All-Stars. “We might as well hand over the trophy to them,” many of us speculated.
The Milwaukee Bucks may have something to say about that.
If any team can defeat this Warriors squad, the Bucks appear to be the most qualified for the job.
Here are three reasons why:
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the Best Player in the League
Say what you will about James Harden’s electrifying season, but the Greek Freak is now the league’s best player. Harden can have the Most Valuable Player Award, but the Bucks’ leader is playing like the best player in the world. Sorry, LeBron James, but Giannis is playing both ends of the floor better than anybody in the league right now. The 6-foot-11 forward is averaging 27.0 points on 58.1 percent field-goal shooting, 12.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.5 blocks per contest. The points, field-goal percentage, rebounds, and assists are all career highs.
On defense, in a possible NBA Finals confrontation against the Warriors, he would match up against Draymond Green to keep him fresh. However, when necessary, Milwaukee coach Mike Budenholzer can switch him off to Kevin Durant, one of the league’s best players, who is a handful for most but not for Antetokounmpo. The five-year veteran is young enough to keep up with the 10-time All-Star on both ends of the floor. More than almost any player in the league, he has what it takes to contain Durant one-on-one or provide rim protection should Khris Middleton, Durant's primary defender, lose track of him.
Antetokounmpo is a game-changer. Draymond Green will be hard-pressed to keep him from doing what he wants to do. Giannis's combination of size, length and strength is extraordinary, making him the new prototypical small forward-power forward combo for this new generation. If he ever masters the 3-point shot, it’s game over for the rest of the league. Before that happens, it may already be game over for the Warriors this June.
If the Bucks make the Finals, Antetokounmpo has a chance to lead the Bucks to a championship, much as a sophomore center by the name of Lew Alcindor led them to the 1971 title. Don’t be surprised if he does. Being the best player on the best team in the league spells trouble for the other team; that is a formula for success in the Finals.
2. Mike Budenholzer is No Stranger to the Playoffs
Sure, the Warriors have all the experience in the world while their dance partner in the Finals would be an untested newbie. However, the Bucks' coach is far from being inexperienced. Mike Budenholzer led the Atlanta Hawks to the best record in the Eastern Conference and a deep playoff run a few years ago. Despite losing to LeBron and his Cleveland Cavaliers a couple of times in the postseason, Budenholzer has better personnel this time. He learned many valuable lessons he can take with him against the Warriors.
The new systems “Bud” set in place have paid off. His Bucks are in the top three in both offensive and defensive rating. This was after management essentially brought back the same players from last season and let go of only a few. That’s a pretty impressive feat.
Sure, the Finals are different from playoff action — the opponents in the Finals are less familiar than conference foes — but history shows that not all championship-winning coaches have to have experience in the title round to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Budenholzer can hold his own against an experienced Finals coach such as Steve Kerr. He’s smart enough to make adjustments on the fly and has the respect of all his players, especially Antetokounmpo. Don’t be surprised if he outcoaches Kerr when the brightest lights are on.
3. Bucks' Defense Can Stop Warriors' Offense
The Bucks are employing a more traditional defensive approach this season by not switching as much as most teams are. They are trying to keep opponents from scoring inside. While it’s true that they allow the highest percentage of threes in the league this season, supposedly a no-no when you’re facing a 3-point shooting team like the Warriors, there is a method to the Bucks' madness. Budenholzer's focus: Who takes the threes? That's what counts.
As Bryan Myers of The Action Network explained:
The Bucks allow the most 3s in the league, but they also allow the fewest shots — by a freaking mile — at the rim. It’s a conscious decision on their part and how they built their league-leading defense.
And part of that strategy is allowing opposing big men to bomb away from outside.
In their first meeting at Oracle Arena, the Bucks kept the Warriors from taking and making too many 3-pointers. Milwaukee walked away with a lopsided 134-111 win in one of the most hostile environments in the league. In their revenge game against Milwaukee, the Dubs won 105-95 in Wisconsin. Though their margin of defeat was in double figures, the Bucks limited the Warriors to more than 13.6 points below their league-leading average of 118.6 per game.
The Bucks also allowed Golden State power forward-center Jonas Jerebko to shoot nine threes that game, tying Stephen Curry for the team lead. Clearly, Buzenholzer isn’t afraid of letting opponents shoot as much as they want from 3-point territory, as long as the Bucks keep the best players from taking them.
As the season has progressed, the Bucks have improved tremendously. their confidence in their defense has resulted in win after win, all the way to top of the NBA standings.
Milwaukee has the personnel to contain the Warriors’ best players. It has an excellent help defender in Antetokounmpo who can erase some of the Bucks' lapses on defense. More than any team in the league, the Bucks have the best defense to stop the Warriors and keep them from winning their third straight championship. Should the Bucks win, Milwaukee will finally be among the few basketball cities to win multiple championships. Don’t bet against the Bucks.
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