Projecting Milwaukee Bucks' Best and Worst 2015 NBA Playoff Matchups
If the playoffs were to begin today, and with the way they've been playing, the Milwaukee Bucks would be hard-pressed to beat any team ahead of them in the Eastern Conference standings. Fortunately, there's still some time to recapture their footing.
But that's something that must happen soon.
Despite the East not measuring up to the West in terms of talented teams, Milwaukee's potential opponents still pose plenty of threat, and winning a series will be a difficult task no matter whom the Bucks face.
From the Atlanta Hawks to the Chicago Bulls, each team poses a different threat. To call any of the teams ahead of the Bucks a favorable opponent would be reaching. Still, they do stand a better chance against certain teams.
Out of the teams the Bucks are likely to face, let's take a look at some of the best-case and worst-case scenario for this team, assuming Milwaukee makes the postseason.
Best: Atlanta Hawks
It may sound crazy to say the Eastern Conference's best team presents one of the better matchups, but it's not a terribly outrageous notion.
The Bucks are 1-2 against the Hawks on the season, but they have played competitively in each of the three games thus far.
Starting the season series off with a 107-77 blowout win in December and following that up with a tight 90-85 loss the next night were early signs that the Bucks had a squad that could compete with the league's best.
Last month, the Hawks visited the BMO Harris Bradley Center and were able to best Milwaukee by a score of 97-86 after pulling away in the fourth quarter.
The two teams will meet once more in the regular season on March 30, and with the way the Bucks have been playing, a win might be a little optimistic at this point. Still, of all the teams they could potentially play in the playoffs, the Hawks are one of the better options.
Averaging 102.6 points, the Hawks are the league's 10th-best scoring offense. In three games, the Bucks have been able to hold the Hawks to just 88.0 points per game on 39.1 percent shooting from the floor.
The problem? The Bucks have trouble scoring themselves, posting 92.7 points per game against Atlanta. And that number is a bit skewed by Milwaukee's 107-point output in the first game of the season series.
In a seven-game series, it's unlikely the Hawks would struggle that much offensively, but if the Bucks found an offensive rhythm, it could make for an interesting series.
That's not to say a series win is likely to happen if they play the Hawks, but despite what most people might think, the Bucks match up pretty well against Atlanta.
Sometimes if you brawl long enough, you may just be able to land that lucky knockout blow.
Worst: Cleveland Cavaliers
The Bucks are 1-2 against the Cavs for the year, but it just so happened that LeBron James wasn't playing in that win. And when James is on the court, no team presents more of a problem for the young Bucks.
Regardless of how well the Bucks have played on the defensive end, the Cavs simply have far too much firepower needing to be contained—from James, to Kyrie Irving, to Kevin Love and even down to role players like J.R. Smith. Each player can explode on offense at any given moment.
And given how the Bucks are not a team capable of putting up big point totals very often, that's a recipe for disaster.
In the two games he has played against the Bucks this year, James is averaging 27.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 8.0 assists while connecting on an excellent 50.0 percent of his shot attempts. Trying to stop James isn't something many—if any—teams can do. But even limiting him can be a monumental task.
When you place that stat line along with that of Irving's, who has been having a feast against the Bucks this season as well, there is little you can do from a defensive standpoint.
Ultimately, the Cavs pose the biggest threat to the Bucks—and maybe anyone else in the East—because they have nearly a handful of players who can take over a game on the offensive end.
Best: Washington Wizards
Barring something bizarre happening, it's unlikely the Bucks would match up with the Wizards in the first round of the playoffs.
However, if they did, it might be one of the better opponents for the young team.
With the acquisition of Michael Carter-Williams, the Bucks would be able to limit the impact of superstar point guard John Wall. Carter-Williams has excellent length and is a good enough defender to give Wall some problems. Additionally, MCW's long arms can disrupt passing lanes with relative ease.
On the season, the Bucks went 1-2 against the Wizards, and despite allowing 101.3 points per game against them, Milwaukee isn't too overmatched defensively.
Marcin Gortat and Nene Hilario are solid in the post, and their bulk could present problems. However, with the recent play of Zaza Pachulia, it's possible that could be limited.
If the Bucks can limit Wall, take either Gortat or Nene out of the series and take away a second option of Bradley Beal or Paul Pierce, they could compete in a seven-game series against the Wizards.
Not to mention, the Wizards are just 7-11 since the All-Star break, so they're another team that has been struggling since the middle of the season.
The Bucks could at least carry some amount of confidence heading into a series, knowing that they have the talent to compete.
Worst: Chicago Bulls
No team in the East has given the Bucks as much trouble as their rivals 90 miles to the south.
The Bulls have dominated the season series, winning all three games to this point—the two teams will meet one final time on April 1—and doing it with their defense. Averaging a paltry 92.3 points, the Bulls haven't torched the nets in the series. However, they have held the Bucks to a horrendous 81.3 points per game.
That, obviously, is not going to allow a team to win many games.
Even without a healthy Derrick Rose, the Bulls present plenty of matchup problems for the Bucks. One player who has absolutely dominated on offense, though, is veteran big man Pau Gasol.
Against the Bucks, the 34-year-old is posting averages of 27.7 points and 14.0 rebounds while knocking down a remarkable 56.6 percent of his shots. His ability to finesse defenders by utilizing pivots and pump fakes often is tough for defenders like John Henson and Pachulia to handle.
Regardless of the fact that the Bulls don't have an elite offense, they have enough weapons to beat a Bucks team that struggles on offense itself and is up and down in terms of defensive efficiency.
Having a hard time remaining competitive during the regular season never speaks well to what a team may be able to do against the same opponent during the playoffs. Unfortunately for the Bucks, matching up with the Bulls would likely spell a quick end to their postseason run.
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