After winning an NBA title in the previous season, the Milwaukee Bucks haven't experienced the season they expected. They haven't played horribly, but they haven't been as dominant as we've come to expect from them. It doesn't seem to matter to the Bucks because they were not the number one seed a year ago and still won the championship. They had been the number one seed in previous seasons, but they didn't do well in the playoffs, falling short of an NBA title.

Because arguably their most crucial defensive player, Brook Lopez, has been out since the beginning of the season, one of the main reasons why this team isn't playing the type of basketball that everyone expects is because he has been out. Lopez has only played in one game for this Milwaukee club, against the Brooklyn Nets, and as a result, Milwaukee has had to adjust its game plan significantly.

Milwaukee hasn't played the type of basketball that most people expect from them, but there's little question that they can't repeat as NBA champions this season. There are various reasons why this team may win an NBA championship, but at the end of the day, Giannis Antetokounmpo is without a doubt the best player in the world, and if he can continue to be the best player in the world, the Bucks have a good chance of repeating and winning another title.

Let's take a look at four teams who may knock the Bucks out of the playoffs if they don't play their best basketball.

Winning an NBA title is never easy. As we have seen with the past 20 champions, every team is going to need something significant to go their way. Whether that is an unfortunate injury to someone, or having guys on the roster step up more than they ever have. There is a reason why winning a championship is so hard, and a reason why we have seen crazy upsets in the past. If a team is going to win a title, they’re going to need everyone on their roster to be playing the best basketball they possibly can, and even sometimes that isn’t enough to get the job done. Match-ups are always something that is going to play a major factor, and some teams just know how to get the job done against certain teams when it matters most.

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The top playoff threats to the Milwaukee Bucks, ranked

4. Raptors

The Toronto Raptors haven't been very good this season, but there's no disputing that when they face the Milwaukee Bucks, they find a way to come out on top. The Raptors do an excellent job of game-planning for Giannis Antetokounmpo and make it difficult for all of their offensive players. The Bucks will need guys like Khris Milton and Jrue Holiday to truly play their game if they want to beat a team like the Raptors.

Toronto will do all in their power to ensure Giannis Antetokounmpo isn't the reason the Bucks beat them, so it will be up to the other players to come up when it means most.

Will the Bucks most likely defeat the Toronto Raptors in a playoff series? Yes, they most likely would, but it will be difficult for the Bucks to defeat them, and it isn't someone they would want to face in the first round.

3. Nets

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Despite the fact that the Brooklyn Nets haven't been playing very well lately, you have to admire this team since they have arguably the best player in the world on their roster. The best player in the world is either Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks or Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets.

Beating the Brooklyn Nets will never be easy, especially with Kevin Durant on the team, but the Bucks have to be quite confident when they play against them since they have no one on their roster who can even come close to slowing down Giannis.

2. Sixers

The Philadelphia Sixers are a strange team to suggest is a legitimate danger to the Milwaukee Bucks, but the fact is that if Joel Embiid can remain healthy and James Harden can play solid basketball, they're a team that might cause some problems for the Bucks.

Milwaukee has shown over the last several years that they know how to beat the Sixers, so they shouldn't be too concerned if they face them in the playoffs.

1. Heat

The Miami Heat are likely to be the last team that the Bucks want to face. They do an outstanding job against Giannis Antetokounmpo, and they have one of the best defenses in the NBA.

Regardless of what Bucks fans claim about how much better they are than the Heat, this isn't a great matchup for Milwaukee. There are certain areas in which the Bucks are substantially better than the Heat, but the reality is that this wouldn't be a fun matchup for the Buck, but that doesn't mean they'll lose a series against them, it will just be much tougher than other teams.

Milwaukee is still the best team in the Eastern Conference, so facing anyone is always going to be more difficult for their opponents than it is for them. Miami usually finds a way to make life difficult for Milwaukee, so avoiding them until the later stages of the playoffs if possible might be a wise move.