NBA Countdown | Jokic, Nuggets will be the biggest threat to the Celtics winning a title – Windy

NBA Countdown | Jokic, Nuggets will be the biggest threat to the Celtics winning a title – Windy

Birthday boy thank you so very much Happy Birthday Kevin alongside CH auma Kendrick Perkins Brian wior we are getting you ready for this showdown between the Bucks and the Celtics yes we know the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics both will not be at full strength in this one I’m not sure if

This is some Checkers or chests going on by opponents that seem to be on a collision course to meet in the playoffs we hope it’s in the Conference Finals but do you think that the Bucks have the best chance of any team of knocking off the Celtics to represent the East Brian

In the East I do because I think they have the nice mix of experience and then Firepower because if you’re going to beat the Celtics you got to be able to score I know they’ve got one of the best defenses in the league but when they get

Going from a three-point range they are very hard to to to tangle with when Chris Middleton is healthy when Dame Lillard and Y ten K are working well together the Bucks have that and when they play their best defensively which we’ve seen it on and off over the last

Two months they can they can do some damage too well well let’s hit the edit button for a minute let’s punch the edit button because it should be which team would be the biggest threat to the Denver Nuggets for us winning the title not the Celtics the Denver Nuggets are

The defending champs right and when I think about the nuggets and I look at we already know what Murray and yish is going to do in the twom Man game the taner between Gordon and and joic how they you know do offensively but it’s Michael Porter Jr 20 points per game his

Last five games and he has been on a high streak so when I think about the Nuggets yeah we could talk about the death the lack of death that they have don’t have on the bench but the growth of Michael Porter Jr the trust that I’m watching out of Michael Malone right now

They actually are the team I mean should be the front runner to win the championship so so taking that edit into consideration do you think that it’s going to be the Celtics and the Denver Nuggets is there anyone who’s standing in the Celtics way in the east no no one

And I love the Nicks they just not healthy look I’m going to add another edit I think the biggest threat to the Boston Celtics are the Boston Celtics themselves I mean on paper and also fear but fear itself fear itself I mean this is like we’re waiting for them to take

The next step with their confidence perk you talk a lot about signature wins like we’re looking for these moments we’re looking for Jason Tatum who talk to you Malika Andrews about wanting to be that best player in the NBA it’s on them at this point because if you look at what

They’ve done the body of work they will have homec court advantage through throughout the entirety of the playoffs they’re 31 and three at home their starters give you the most points in basketball 93 points per game among starters that’s solid and then also when you compare them to the nug

I currently think that the nuggets are still the favorite until the Celtics prove it but if you look at the Nuggets there’s an argument that the Celtics have improved in a way that maybe the Nuggets haven’t meaning they brought in Chris porzingis who was helped and Drew

Holiday so I’m looking at the Spider-Man I always bring this up that Spider-Man meme the Celtics are looking at themselves and trying to prove that they are the real oh yeah maybe that is but here’s the question right let’s say those two teams do meet in the NBA

Finals can christyle P porzingis I got you got it hold tight hold up throughout the longevity of the postseason we haven’t seen that we’re talking about the NBA Finals a guy who has an injury history like you know injury pass so like what are we talking failures of the

Celtics over the last two years in the finals to the to the Warriors and last year in the Conference Finals to the heat were supposed to be covered up by the acquisition of porzingis that is the reason they went out and got him and they need him to be healthy to make that

Happen and the role that Chris porzingis has with the Celtics this is the most advantageous meaning he’s not called to be the Unicorn the guy he’s called to really stretch the floor that responsibility will go to Jason Tatum Jaylen Brown and Company so it’s not all

On him they can withstand a couple up and down nights you got to be called to be something if you going against joic well he’s also statistically been the most efficient this season been the most efficient postup player in the last 10 years Chris porzingis has been so he’s

Shown that range as well it’s time to give it back to the happy birthday to you Kevin more at the top of the hour on NBA Countdown my pres is I’m not going to S thank you ladies I am grateful Wendy and K perk laid out Jason Tatum

Averaging nearly 30 points per game and shooting 45% from three during the Celtics 6 game winning short you got Celtics bucks coming your way of course NBA Countdown right after Sports Center she is the one and only CH AUM he is our senior NBA Insider Adrien wowski he is

Our senior writer Brian wior and Kendrick Perkins I’m Malik Anders we have huge game tonight in the East the Bucks facing the top seated Celtics I’m no Giannis to tent kmo in this one though he is missing his second straight game with a hamstring issue W how

Serious is this this is not serious Giannis is a player this season it only be his fifth game he’s missed and this is an organization that knows sometimes they have to protect Giannis from Giannis he wants to play every night uh but I think the wear and tear how hard

He plays they sat him for a second they they’ll set him for a second straight game tonight they scored 140 points without him Sunday right against Phoenix but I’m told there’s a possibility he could play When the Bucks return home tomorrow against Brooklyn he did not

Make this trip but we do know this is a player that historically the Bucks have literally had to lock out of the gym to as you say protect him from himself so no Yannis tonight but let’s take an inventory on these two Titans because coming into the season right there was

An expectation that on paper these two could be on a crash course in the postseason well according to ESPN analytics there actually is a 34% chance that these two will meet in the Eastern Conference Finals let’s talk about Milwaukee because they found their Rhythm since the All-Star break right

They have the fifth best record in the NBA in that span and a huge reason why has been their defense it’s improved greatly under Doc Rivers although it has come back down to earth a little bit in the month of March and then Wednesday night won’t have Giannis but do not

Expect that to change much in terms of game plans here because they’re still going to get up a ton of Threes both teams are here Boston leads the NBA in made 3es the Bucks they rake second since the All-Star break from deep and and a huge outcome of that three-point

Barrage right is big wins here look at this Boston has 14 25o wins this season that is tied for the fourth most ever in a season in NBA history the Celtics are more than a 10-point favorite tonight according to ESN bet this is the biggest Underdog that the Milwaukee Bucks have

Been since 2017 so Brian what is the path if any do the Bucks have to making it out of the East here well one of the things that’s been a factor for them is can they get this number two seed right and get home in the first couple rounds

And something to really pay attention to is what’s going on with Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland Donovan is dealing with a sore knee that he went and got some PRP for came back then was feeling discomfort in the knee and his back shut down again he’s also dealing with a

Nasal fracture but the calav seating is becoming less important as it is to making sure the Donovan is healthy the Caps have an easier schedule and the tiebreaker over the Bucks and they’re only one game separated in the standings so that’s something that I’m expecting

To watch but if they have to keep and protect Donovan down the stretch they could take some losses and that could open the window for the bucks to get this two seat and this end up being a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals yeah there is a literal large sizable

Gap between the Celtics and the bucks but I do think that the Gap is closing in some ways because you know a lot of the Eastern Conference standings is predicated on health and they are starting to get healthier even though jannis is not playing tonight at the

Right time thank you w for that important information about the hamstring not being so serious and you know I think about the playoffs in a situation where On Any Given night Giannis and Dame could potentially be the better players amongst Duos on the floor Giannis is still getting us 30 30

Points per game and 11 rebounds per game Dame has rounded form since All-Star he was shooting around 33% from three and uh pre- Allstar post Allstar 40% he’s being more aggressive and so I think that’s a very difficult situation if you’re assessing where the Bucks were in

January February to where they are now even though you look at that one and two Gap the Gap when it comes to competing on a night and night basis the Gap is probably smaller than people think I think the play who gives the Bucks a chance to close the gap on Boston is

Chris Middleton he just returned after a month out I talked to Doc Rivers about this uh over the weekend and getting a third score getting somebody who’s IQ with this group you know just makes them more dangerous in the playoffs and you know Chris Middleton can guard his

Position he was I don’t know that he is going to be an All-Star level player again with the injuries he’s had but they don’t need as much from Chris Middleton in Milwaukee than they did when they won a title against Phoenix but they do did him on the floor they do

Him contributing and if he can stay on the floor the rest of the way I think that makes them much more formidable and I think that puts them in a conversation with the Celtic team no I agree and look if they was to match up in the series I

Think it it would go seven games it’s that close you can’t count out Giannis and I damn sure is I’m damn sure not about to be against Damen Lillard a guy who has shown us time and time again that when he’s asked to perform at the

Highest level he does it and so when I look at the Milwaukee Bucks and I look at their front line Giannis Brook Lopez Bobby poris and what he’s been bringing to the table I’m looking at the Celtics front line and I’m like okay you got Christa porzingis you do have Al Horford

And you got Luke coret which front line are you taking in that series The physicality and then you talking about the Eastern Conference Finals it’s going to get interesting there was a time Brian I think particularly on paper you looked at the Milwaukee Bucks in the

Boston Celtics as really a TW team Race in the Eastern Conference Finals now that we are just mere weeks away from the playoffs beginning do you still have that same feeling that same conviction you know we we still have so much uncertainty about so much health with some of their competition Joel embiid

Can he come back how will he look if he can come back will they be able to avoid the playing tournament I mentioned Donovan Mitchell the New York Knicks are getting healthier but now we have ogn and noi re sidelined still don’t know about Julius Randall you know to beat

The Celtics you got to be at the top of your game and when they played The Bu few years ago Giannis ran out of gas Middleton didn’t miss that series it was a grueling seven game series and by game seven in Boston he just didn’t have

Enough if you’re going to beat this team especially without home court advantage you got to have all of your players at performing at a high level yeah and you can make the same case for the Celtics when they made to the NBA finals versus the Warriors they ran out of gas in some

Ways and and perk I know you mentioned the front court but I do think to challenge that look at the perimeter the backourt for the Celtics if you’re going to talk about the defense that is stalwart for the bucks having prior you know potential Defensive Player of the

Year candidates look at the defensive front uh back court that they could have between Derek white Drew holiday who was integral on that bucks Championship so like I do think it balances out in some ways more so in the Celtics favor and I’m glad you bought that up because they

Are favor the Celtics are and by the way if they don’t win the championship it’s a complete failure right you think about what Brad Stevens and Wick grpc has did for us building adding pieces around Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown every offse they have been aggressive making sure

They get the pieces around them and like we heard Jason Tatum and jayen brown both say this has been the best team that they’ve been a part of so they have zero excuses I think BR is a front runner for executive of the year when

You look at the the the trade they make for porzingis the trade they made for Drew holiday the contracts that they’ve signed I’m going to go all the way back to the trade to get Derek white they’ve done a brilliant job at stocking this team while leaving their options open

While not destroying their payroll but obviously you got to finish the job got yeah I I completely double down on that I do think at this point in the season based off of what we’ve seen it is a failure based off of if they don’t win a championship based off of their most

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NBA Countdown | Jokic, Nuggets will be the biggest threat to the Celtics winning a title – Windy