Why Milwaukee Bucks Will Steal Final Playoff Spot from New York Knicks

Presently, the New York Knicks are poised to grab the eighth playoff spot and if they aren't careful, the Milwaukee Bucks will sneak up on them and take that final seed. There are several reasons to believe this is possible. 

First and foremost, while the Knicks have a three-game lead they have also had one big advantage, which is going to be reversed over the remainder of the season: strength of schedule. 

The Knicks have had the easiest schedule in the NBA so far this year. Over the first half of the season the Knicks opponents had an average winning percentage of 46 percent. Over the remainder of the season that number jumps to 51 percent. 

For the Bucks it's a net change in the opposite direction. Their opponents had a winning percentage of 52 percent over the first half of the season and have won just 44 percent of the time over the second half of the season. 

That accounts for two of the four biggest swings in strength of schedule in the NBA. 

While the Knicks have been beating up on the little guys, the Bucks have been playing the beasts of the East. The Bucks have played 13 games against Orlando, Chicago and Miami, going 2-11 against those four teams, and they are .500 against the rest of the league. They only play one more game against Atlanta.

Meanwhile, the Knicks have avoided the stiffest competition. They have only played three games against the East's elite. They have eight games against those four teams remaining as well as three against the Indiana Pacers and two against the Philadelphia 76ers.  

Secondly, the Bucks, who won the first matchup with the Knicks, play New York three more times starting with tonight's game. Theoretically, they could account for the difference in the standing with a sweep.

They match up well against the Knicks. Brandon Jennings could take advantage of Jeremy Lin's weakness on defense. Drew Gooden and Ersan Ilyasova have been playing together of late. They've helped the Bucks have the sixth-best frontcourt since the break. 

Also, the Bucks are shopping Andrew Bogut and could be getting some help before the trade deadline to bolster their playoff championship play. 

The Knicks may be technically in the lead right now, but they have the lead of a runner who started too fast with a lap to go. The Bucks will finish stronger than the Knicks and push hard down the stretch. Don't be surprised if they overtake the Knicks before all is said and done.