How DANGEROUS is a fully healthy Bucks team + Can they go TOE-TO-TOE with Celtics? | NBA Today

How DANGEROUS is a fully healthy Bucks team + Can they go TOE-TO-TOE with Celtics? | NBA Today

Phly gets the win 121 107 and then the Milwaukee Bucks they are hitting their stde at the right time and one in Dame time it’s the first time Giannis Dame and Chris Middleton played together since February 3rd and boy big surprise they looked good Chris Middleton

Elevates hits the three here and see who their opponent is top seated Thunder team Giannis sentac kmo throws it down nice little connection from Chris Middleton to Yiannis this is what we’ve seen for years and years the championship DNA still Milwaukee flu but this also was an afternoon game oh Milwaukee flu that

Would be a new one I do know this that be the literal flu exactly the buck that’s what you get when you’re in the pacif when you’re in the uh the Midwest the Bucks though they picked up another statement win over the thunder on Sunday they continue this upward Trend that

We’ve seen it was their 25th game under Doc Rivers Milwaukee really started to steady the ship after a slow start here the Bucks they’re looking good at the right time and ESPN analytics actually gives Milwaukee an 87% chance to end up as the two seed out west the Boston

Celtics they have locked up that number one seed but Milwaukee does have a three-game cushion under three weeks left in the regular season here so Kendrick they’re healthy they look dangerous but just how dangerous can this Milwaukee team be dangerous enough to take the Celtic

To a seven game series if they match up and then may the chips fall where they may look I’m not going to sit up here and act like I’m not witnessing Bobby Porters come in Off the Bench and be a candidate for six man of the year and

Has had months the game I’m also not about to sit up here and act like I haven’t witnessed Damen Lillard look comfortable offensively under Doc Rivers and I’m also not about to sit up here and act like I haven’t witnessed Patrick bevle effect on this team along with Doc

Rivers in that locker room and the way that they attitude have shifted after the allstar break defensively I’m watching this team they locked in you see them communicating you see guys give a certain amount of effort that is needed for a championship C a team like

That this team is the real deal they’re finding their stride they seem like they’re enjoying one another and most importantly Doc Rivers have the ears of that locker room well look injuries are part of the game so I’m not going to just say you know you can blame

Everything on injuries but when you evaluate a team like this you should evaluate them when they’re healthy and they are y in the last few games Chris Middleton has come back from that ankle injury he’s made a really big difference particularly as a distributor he’s averaging eight assists in these three

Games since he came back he had a triple double against the Thunder yesterday and it just takes the pressure off of Giannis and Dame to do much so much creation also it allows them to blend their lineups a little better when they can use all three of them Middleton is

Not having a great year but he’s still such a major talent that you can’t just Overlook you adding them adding him in in mid-march it really changes their Dynamic this was the Milwaukee Bucks at their best good defensively great Rim protection switched really well they looked like a team that could go toeto

Toe with the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals if that all is how it ends up uh being in terms of seating but on the flip side of things the Thunder were dominated inside yeah they just were this was sort of a question that we’d had about OKC they

Were held to a season low 32 paint points they were outrebounded by 20 I know that can be a little scary when Giannis is on the other side but Brian not all teams are as physical as the Bucks I get that this didn’t go on when Kendrick Perkins was patrolling the

Paint the Oklahoma City Thunder it did not but did this shine a light on on maybe OKC’s red flag here yeah so this is their biggest weakness some people would say youth is their biggest weakness but youth doesn’t mean that you can’t succeed it just means you’re not

Proven yet they don’t have an interior presence they at the trade deadline Malika they elected not to go out and get rebounding help now maybe that’s because they didn’t find a deal that they liked what they did at the deadline they picked up a pick swap from Dallas

That could be very fruitful down the line they picked up Gordon Hayward who is actually not making much of an impact he’s only playing 17 minutes and averaging about Five Points he hasn’t been doing much they may be able to trade him later for a piece I’m not

Saying their deadline failed but it didn’t deliver the rebounding help that they could have used in this push towards the end of the season and that was very much on display on Sunday I’m with you on that Wendy when you think about chit we know Chad is an

Awesome Talent defensively he’s going to protect the basket one of the best in the NBA but when you think about what you need to get out of the Western Conference when you might have to battle Anthony Davis or damont sabon or yic or whatever call Anthony towns if he comes

Back like you need that interior presence in the Western Conference and they don’t have that and guess what if they happen to get knocked out in the first round it wouldn’t be that big of a deal they put the world on notice this is a team that is built for the future

And right now they just going through that they’re going to go through their growing pains in the postseason and I trust Sam pry out of a lot of GMS that he will feel that void for us getting them in presence to play a long set home grd Celtics they’ve officially clinched

The one seed in the Easter Conference but you still have your eye on Boston why let’s keep an eye for the next week on Drew holiday for two reasons number one he’s dealing with an arm injury right now he got hit last week he’s missed a few games out against tonight

It’ll be his fifth straight not super worried about that he says he’s getting better but the one thing I want to talk about is starting one week from today April 1st he can sign a contract extension for the Celtics and I think Malika there is interest on both sides

To get this done before the playoffs now he has an option for next season for $39 million he could sign starting on Monday four years and 21221 I don’t think it will be either I think what’s most likely is he will not use that optin he will not use that

Option he will take a new contract that lowers that number and stretches it out they traded and extended Chris ABS porzingis they traded and I think are going to try to extend drick white this summer The the Celtics have extended Jaylen Brown they’re going to try and probably get extended on Jason Tatum

This summer they extended pton Pritchard Malika they like this team they want to lock it in and I think that they will try to do the with Drew holiday in the very near future but this is an expensive team Brian oh yes when you’re looking at Jason Tatum signing the

Largest contract in NBA history three bills eclipsing that that was signed by his teammate Jaylen Brown we’re talking about a whole lot of cash here Kendrick so Boston’s the clear-cut favorite they just are Jason Tatum told me this is the best roster that he has ever played with

Including that 2022 finals team but the question is is this version of the Celtics if they fall short yet again should they run it back or should they consider some changes I feel like I’ve been in this position for the last two years and my answer is not going to change right they

Have all the pieces that they need if this group falls short like this is a complete failure it’s Championship a bus and it’s it’s this way for the Boston Celtics in my opinion and no other team in the NBA and when you think about Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum it’s almost

Going to get to the point that if they don’t complete the mission like even if you’re with GRC and Brad Brad Stevens you got to start having doubt at some point if they don’t complete the mission with all the success that these young guys have had in the past if they don’t

Get it done this year with this roster and these pieces that they added with Drew holl uh christop Pingas this is a problem I think they’re going to I mean they they’re don’t have very many options I think this they’re locked into this roster for next season no matter

What after that let’s see but they may have a championship by then well and if they do you know then all bets are off then absolutely you’re going to run it back yeeha I mean if Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter is coming out later this week she’s going country it’s time for us to

Survey the Wild Wild West we’re going to start with the defending champs they notched their 50th win of the season to regain sole possession of first place after a win over the Blazers Michael Malone said I don’t know how many teams you can say across the NBA are playing

Better than the Denver Nuggets right now we’re going to ignore the third person part but Brian are there any the Celtics but they’re two and0 against the Celtics this year and this game that you were referenc right here joic and Murray sat didn’t even need them to win on the road

And that is why I think the answer might be no next up the Pelicans Zion Williamson scored 36 on 13 to 14 shooting and win over the Pistons perk his field goal percentage has improved each month this year is this the best version of Zion we have seen yet

Hell yeah and it’s not even close he’s been the most dominant player in the league in the paint using that strength his athleticism and his skill to get to the rim I love what Zion has been doing hell I love what the Pelicans has been doing well let’s shift over to another

Big man who’s been balling Damonte sabonis the Gonzaga product posted his 53rd consecutive double double over the weekend oh all right well try tying Kevin Love here the longest streak since the merger Brian does the bonus deserve as perk says to make all NBA yeah he’s

Going to make all NBA I don’t think this streak is getting enough attention 53 consecutive double doubles it’s the most sense the merger and he’s two more he’s going to tie the most since Elvin Hayes in 7374 beep all right last stop the Rockets they got their eighth straight

Win on Saturday thanks to another monster game from Jaylen Green Houston however will be without Jabari Smith Jr tonight after he and Chris Den remember they’re both suspended for throwing punches so perk does this team look like they will be backing down anytime soon hell no they’re coached by E udoka

And their guy leading the charge is Dylan Brooks this team is not going anywhere and they have a promising young star in Jaylen green who has elevated his game since Chon went down well look at this the Rockets are the hottest team in the west winning eight straight games

Nine of their last 10 overall they’ve really turned it up in March winning 10 games this much month which has helped them in their push for the playin Houston won 10 games total between the months of January and February

The NBA today panel discuss just how dangerous the Milwaukees Bucks are, if they exposed the Thunders biggest weaknesses and if they can go toe-to-toe with the Boston Celtics.

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