The acquisition of star guard Damian Lillard last summer by the Milwaukee Bucks had many picking the Bucks to reach the NBA Finals this season, but things haven’t turned out exactly the way they were expected to.
The Bucks have underachieved all season, leading to first-time head coach Adrian Griffin getting fired at midseason, and now they’re dealing with the strained calf Giannis Antetokounmpo recently suffered.
As a result, Chris Broussard said on FS1’s “First Things First” that the Indiana Pacers will send them home in the first round of the playoffs, even if Antetokounmpo is able to play.
“Milwaukee is in deep trouble,” Broussard said.
.@Chris_Broussard is picking the Pacers over the Bucks in Round 1 — with or without Giannis 😳
“Milwaukee is in deep trouble.” pic.twitter.com/ih4DGGijI6
— First Things First (@FTFonFS1) April 15, 2024
Broussard said that a major problem the Bucks have is a lack of footspeed, which he feels will greatly hurt them on both ends of the floor.
When they won the NBA championship in 2021, they were fourth in fast-break points per game and ninth in defensive rating, but this season, they were just 24th and 19th, respectively, in both categories.
The Pacers, meanwhile, may not be a great defensive team themselves, but they’re one of the league’s best running teams, and they ranked second in pace.
They acquired star forward Pascal Siakam at midseason, and he has given them another legitimate offensive weapon alongside All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton and center Myles Turner.
If nothing else, this matchup between Milwaukee and Indiana should be really competitive and interesting, but if Milwaukee loses, there could be plenty of talk about what may lie ahead for them.
Update on an All-NBA star ahead of playoffs:
Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) is rehabbing daily but there’s some real doubt for his status to begin series vs. Pacers on Sunday, sources say. Although Giannis has rare recovery ability, he’s very much up in the air for Game 1.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 15, 2024
Per Shams Charania, there is real doubt that Antetokounmpo will be able to play in Game 1 of the series.
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Steph Curry Sends A Clear Message Ahead Of Kings Matchup
