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The Milwaukee Bucks trail their best-of-seven series 1-0 in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Brooklyn Nets. In Game 1, James Harden exited less than a minute into the contest with a hamstring injury and he's already been ruled out for Game 2. The Nets still went on to win Game 1, 115-107. Looking around the landscape of the East and giving all that Milwaukee has invested in its roster for this year, this has to be the season the Bucks win the East.
The James Harden injury is what really dials up the pressure on the Bucks. Perhaps the idea is that it would be the other way around and the pressure would be on Brooklyn, but it's not. If the Nets are able to outlast Milwaukee without Harden the narrative will become, “If the Bucks couldn't beat them when they didn't have Harden, how will they beat Brooklyn next year or the year after that.” Of course, there are flaws to that idea but it will be the overriding storyline if Harden remains out and Milwaukee still drops the series.
While the Bucks are behind 1-0 in their series, so are the No. 1 seeded Philadelphia 76ers, after they lost Game 1 to the Atlanta Hawks. Joel Embiid started, he played and he played very well, scoring 39 points and chipping in 9 rebounds as well. But it still wasn't enough.
Embiid is playing with a slight tear in his meniscus and it's hard not to cringe watching him play right now knowing the injury is present and exists. It's an injury that will likely linger and could be further aggravated as long as Philly stays in the postseason.
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In the Bucks' series, James Harden pulled up lame for the Nets in Game 1 and the former league MVP is likely going to be on the shelf for awhile. Yet, the Bucks still dropped Game 1 to Brooklyn and the final score wasn't indicative of how much the Nets actually dominated in the second half. Yes, Brooklyn still has Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, but with how things are taking form in the East, this may be the Bucks' best opportunity.
Milwaukee has Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday locked up for the years to come so it's not as though the Bucks are going anywhere. But given what is going on with the 76ers and the Nets in these playoffs recently, the time is now.
Guys like Bobby Portis and Bryn Forbes have player options on their contracts after this year and have both been critical to the operation in Brooklyn. PJ Tucker, who was traded for at the deadline, will be a free agent. While the Bucks will continue to reload with vets and guys who can chip in immediately in the years to come, the current roster is aligned to do the thing now.
The Eastern Conference is setup right now for the 76ers, Bucks and Nets to be the mainstays now and in the coming years. Injuries can't be assumed or predicted though and they've just so happened to align at present time in favor of the Bucks. Milwaukee's time is now in the East as they enter Game 2 on Monday night against the Nets.
