Does anyone still believe that the Western Conference team can win the championship? Since the Bucks beat the Suns to win the championship, the probability of the Eastern Conference team winning the championship has increased year by year. Although the Nuggets and Lone Rangers in the West have unlimited potential, they always feel that they are not hot. The Lakers and The Suns will grow older as James and Paul age, and their championship window will become smaller and smaller. The only strong Clippers were halved by the absence of Leonard and George. To the east, there is a different scenery.
The top three teams in the East are now the Heat, Bucks and 76ers. From the perspective of the team's own configuration and stability, these three teams can be described as Wei, Shu and Wu at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, all of which have the ability to unify the world. But who will finally lift the O'Brien Gold Cup in June? Judging by their current performance, we can make valid predictions!
Since Patreeli handled the Heat, the team has been labeled "tough and hard-blooded." Losing is acceptable, but it is not acceptable to surrender, let alone deliberately spoiled. After experiencing the glory of the Genvepo Big Three, the Heat, under Butler's leadership, once again returned to our sights as kings, and also successfully reached the Finals in 2020. After this year's All-Star Game, the Heat have been dominating the top spot in the East. If the Heat reach the Finals again this season, it can be a surprise, but it is also expected.
Why did the Heat take first place in the East? Because the team's statistics are at the top of the league: the Heat can average 13.6 three-pointers per game, ranking third in the league; the team's overall three-point shooting rate is 37.6%, ranking second in the league; free throw shooting rate is 80.7%, ranking 5th in the league; assist ratio is 19.2%, ranking 6th in the league; offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds are ranked 4th and 6th in the league, respectively. Why can't such a team with good offensive and defensive skills and smooth lines take the first place in the East?
Look at the main framework of the team: the main lineup with Butler, Adebayo, Lowry, and Thireau as the core has proved that the Heat are a playoff team with a high lower limit. At the same time, there are also defensive players such as The Sharpshooter Dunro, Damo, Tucker, and Dedmund. Oladipo's recent comeback has added to the heat. As for champion coach Spollstra, he has led the team to a record of 5 finals. In terms of combat experience and ability to lead the team, Spoelstra is absolutely the league's top coach.
But the Heat also has his flaws, that is, the single soldier blast point is not strong. Butler is technically versatile, but hasn't been his forte in scoring. When the Heat were eliminated 4-0 by the Bucks in the playoffs last year, Butler averaged 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7 assists per game under the strict defense of the alphabet brother. But the data across the board can't hide Butler's 29.7 percent freezing shooting percentage. This year the Heat have introduced Lowry and Oladipo in the guard line though. But whether they can stabilize their output under the Bucks' high-pressure defense is still unknown.
Since the 76ers got Harden, their cries for the title have gotten louder and louder. Because the combination of Harden + Embiid can give people unlimited room for reverie. Holding the ball big core + internal killer, coupled with some role players who have both attack and defense. A strong lineup of champions is formed. And the team with Embiid is not afraid of the Bucks, as long as Embiid squats under the basket guard, the letter brother's internal lethality will be more than half. But the 76ers also have their own shortcomings, that is, they do not have much playoff experience, and their ability to break through the joint defense is weak.
Harden leads the playoffs every year, but without Paul around, the team is almost always on a first-round trip. And once it comes to the high-intensity playoffs, Harden's data have dropped significantly. Embiid has played at MVP level this season. But none of the four playoff trips of his career have broken through the second round of the playoffs. And lost to the Raptors, Celtics, Hawks and other different teams. Whether the team can score steadily at key moments will become an important test for the 76ers in the playoffs.
In addition, the 76ers are still a team that is not good at breaking through the joint defense. In the 17-point loss to the Heat, the 76ers faced the Heat's extreme speed package clamp, high-pressure conversion, and scoring became much more difficult. Embiid, with Adebayor defending and Tucker assisting, made just 2-of-9 shooting in the first quarter. After the game, Embiid only scored 22 points. Some people put hopes of breaking through the joint defense on Harden, but can Harden really be reliable in the playoffs? Unless Harden can return to the competitive state of the warriors. And 76 head coach Rivers has led several teams and was overturned in a 3-1 lead. The coach's poor on-the-spot command will also be an obstacle for the 76ers to win the championship.
The Bucks won championships last season and have twice had the experience of turning a 0-2 deficit. This season, the Bucks continued last season's championship-winning lineup, and also got Ibaka late in the season, supplementing the team's No. 4 and No. 5 positions. The Bucks' main players have recovered from injuries at the beginning of the season and are now in good health. Both in terms of strength and experience, the Bucks are the most likely of the three teams to stand out.
Compared to last season, Holliday is also better integrated into the team. When to attack, when to pass, he can also properly grasp this measure. The passing ability and free throw stability of the alphabet brother have also been greatly improved. Middleton hasn't changed much, it's still the one-on-one, one-way nerve knife. But Middleton's steady mid-range jumper remains an important weapon for the Bucks to win games at key moments. It can be seen that the Bucks have done enough preparations for their defense. But the Bucks' tiptoe Irving and the Air Flip Russo incident have invisibly become tiptoe stones on their way to winning the championship.
As the saying goes: He who wins the hearts and minds of the people wins the world. The Bucks' two injuries have already cost them a lot of support. The NBA is a business alliance that pursues maximum profits. "For the sake of victory, by any means" is certainly not in line with the aesthetics of the masses. So the league will definitely take a certain degree of suppression for a team like the Bucks that is called "dirty". But to bring down the bucks is not an easy task. Just like no one could stop it, the Pistons Bad Boys army won two consecutive championships.
In summary, the bucks are most likely to rush out of the east, followed by the Heat and the 76ers. After all, playing a team with strength and hard work like the Bucks, it is not easy to win without a certain degree of offensive continuity. But the biggest charm of sports competition is that it is full of uncertainty. Until the end, no one can predict the final winner of the championship. But one thing is for sure, this year's Eastern Conference playoffs are destined to be an unparalleled visual feast!