th87 wrote:
Cleveland might not be suited for the playoffs, and Indiana is a team of well-coached role players.
New York seems like the most talented in the East now, which isn't saying much at all. If we can take advantage of someone's cap hell (while managing our own) this offseason, we are right there.
Exactly.
The fact that the Knicks and Pacers will both (most likley) advance to the ECF makes me even more confident that the Bucks really aren't that far away from being back in the mix in the east.
I am not going to subscribe to the idea that the Knicks were a 51 win team and the Pacers were a 50 win team over the course of 6 months and now they magically became juggernauts over the past 2 weeks.
Knicks and Pacers are both good teams that stayed alive long enough to take advantage of the situations that they were presented with.
With a competent head coach, the Bucks as currently constructed could beat the Pacers or the Knicks in a best of 7 series. Not saying the Bucks would be a lock, but they would be capable of beating either team IMO.
With the Tatum injury, there won't be a tier 1 level contender in the east next season.
Next season, the east will likley be a similar situation like we see a lot in the NFL where you have no tier 1 unbeatable juggernaut in the conference, just a handful of good teams and the conference will be up for grabs.
In a situation like that, I can't think of a guy I would want more than a guy like Giannis. But it will all be for naught if you don't repalce Doc with a competent head coach.
If the Bucks had a competent head coach, they might still be playing right now.
I think a lot of people don't fully realize how truly bad of a head coach Doc Rivers is.