Bucks face formidable competition in the East
The Milwaukee Bucks have finished as the top team in the Eastern Conference the last two seasons, and while they enter this year with lofty expectations, the competition to make the NBA Finals has only grown stronger.
Here is a look at some of the more interesting teams in the East, in alphabetical order.
Boston
The Celtics lost Gordon Hayward to Charlotte and Kemba Walker's left knee will be re-evaluated in January following a stem-cell treatment, but the backcourt trio of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart present problems for teams. They gained valuable experience in reaching the Eastern Conference finals and added veteran Tristan Thompson to bolster the front court.
Brooklyn
The Nets paid Kevin Durant $37 million last year while he recovered from a torn Achilles and Kyrie Irving $31 million for 20 games before a shoulder injury ended his year. The pair are back to start this season and have veterans such as DeAndre Jordan, Jeff Green and Spencer Dinwiddie around them. It may take time for the group to mesh under first time head coach Steve Nash, but if healthy they should be formidable.
Indiana
The Pacers can be a strong group if healthy. But two-time all-star Victor Oladipo is hoping to be back at full strength after playing 19 games last season coming off a ruptured quad in January 2019. And now last season's leading scorer and bubble hero, T.J. Warren, is dealing with plantar fasciitis – an injury that forced all-star forward Domantas Sabonis from the bubble. Should the team remain together and healthy under new head coach Nate Bjorkgen, the Pacers should be a tough out.
Miami
The Heat lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games in the NBA Finals, and with a core of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragić and Whitnall High School alumnus Tyler Herro they must be considered a threat to make a strong playoff push. The Heat extended Adebayo with a $163 million deal, clearly believing the 23-year-old is set to take off as one of the game's next stars.
Philadelphia
Like the Bucks, the 76ers are a team that is feeling a bit of pressure to take the next step and play for a title. After back-to-back 50-win seasons and semifinal exits, the 76ers fell to sixth in the conference and were swept out of the bubble. They hired Daryl Morey as general manager and Doc Rivers as head coach to help guide the core of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris get to the next level. The team traded Al Horford and Josh Richardson for shooters Danny Green and Seth Curry and signed Dwight Howard. They are talented, but can it all come together?
Toronto
After winning the 2019-20 championship, the Raptors responded with the conference's second-best record last season under coach Nick Nurse. Pascal Siakam continued to improve and the club re-signed guard Fred VanVleet. Veteran guard Kyle Lowry has continued to play well, while guard Norman Powell took a step forward. They can't be counted out.
Washington
The Wizards swapped out one disgruntled max player in John Wall for another in Russell Westbrook, bringing in the 2016-17 most valuable player to team with Bradley Beal – who averaged 30.5 points per game last season – to try and pull the franchise back into the playoff mix. Shooters (and big men) Davis Bertans and Thomas Bryant showed potential and their continued development will be key to the Wizards taking a step.
As the Bucks hope to reach the finals for the first time since 1974, here are some teams out west that could make things interesting:
Denver
Led by Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray the Nuggets lost key role players Torrey Craig and Jerami Grant. But they re-signed Paul Millsap and added two, late first-round draft picks in R.J. Hampton and Zeke Nnaji. They didn't do much roster-wise, but they're a feisty team that plays with a chip on its shoulder.
Golden State
The Warriors fell to last place in the conference due to a variety of injuries, and while they lost Klay Thompson for the year (again), Steph Curry is healthy and Draymond Green remains. They drafted James Wiseman No. 2 overall and they're counting on 24-year-old Kelly Oubre (18.7 ppg) to continue to grow offensively.
Los Angeles Clippers
Along with the Bucks, the Clippers were one of the playoff bubble's disappointments, losing in the second round. So they fired Doc Rivers and hired Tyronn Lue to be the head coach, extended Paul George and added veteran Serge Ibaka and Nicolas Batum.
Los Angeles Lakers
After winning last season's championship, LeBron James and Anthony Davis both extended their stays in L.A., but the roster around them has been revamped. Dennis Schröder is now at point and the Lakers swiped Montrezl Harrell away from the rival Clippers. They also added Wesley Matthews and Marc Gasol.
Houston
The Rockets changed their GM and head coach, then traded Russell Westbrook for John Wall and also dealt Robert Covington. But they added forwards Christian Wood (13.1 ppg) and DeMarcus Cousins. James Harden is reportedly unhappy, but if the league's leading scorer is on the roster and Wall shows any old form after a long time off, the Rockets should be in the mix.