The NBA playoff matchup is still in full swing, and the second game of the first round is all over, with 5 of the 8 groups of 2-0 scores and 3 groups of 1-1 scores. The pattern of the West is still relatively clear, and the teams with higher rankings in the regular season can basically grasp the home advantage. In the East, the situation is a little more chaotic, with the Celtics and Bucks, two powerhouses in the East, both losing a game at home. The Philadelphia 76ers, who have Embiid, are also 0-2 behind their opponents and are in a passive situation. To be honest, there is really no strong team with absolute strength this season, and no team dares to say that they will be able to compete for the championship. Stronger than the defending champion Nuggets, although they led the Lakers 2-0, they had the absolute initiative in the series.
However, just looking at every game between the Lakers and the Nuggets, the Nuggets did not achieve all-round crushing, but won through reversal, which also shows that the Nuggets are definitely not invincible, and they also have times when they are not in good shape and frequently hit the iron. In addition, the Celtics, who ranked first in the league in the regular season win rate, also fell off the chain in the playoffs, losing to the Heat without Butler at home, and it seems that the Green Army is not invulnerable. Regardless, the Nuggets and Celtics remain among the biggest favorites this season. In fact, as early as the regular season, there are still many teams that are regarded as favorites for the championship, such as the Los Angeles Clippers, they are the only ones in the Western giants, the Warriors, the Suns, and the Lakers have not been able to get a direct ticket to the playoffs, but the Clippers have done it.
However, the Clippers still have many obvious shortcomings, their core player Leonard has not fully recovered from injury, and the Clippers' interior strength is relatively weak, and there is a gap with other strong teams. In addition to the Clippers, the Milwaukee Bucks in the East, who were also considered to have the best chance of winning the championship earlier. Because they made roster changes this season, they brought in a super helper for Brother Alphabet, and welcomed Lillard, an All-Star player, one of the 75 biggest stars in NBA history. On the surface, the combination of Brother Alphabet and Lillard is very suitable, the two are one inside and one outside, and Lillard can just make up for Brother Alphabet's poor projection ability and the shortcomings of not being able to play key shots. In the first round of the playoffs last year, the Bucks repeatedly made mistakes at critical moments, and were finally eliminated by the Black Eight.
Although on the surface, the duo of Lillard and Antetokounmpo was seamless, but after the actual game, it was found that they did not play as dominant as expected. On the one hand, the addition of Lillard destroyed the original defensive system of the Bucks, after all, at the expense of Allen and Holiday two original high-quality guards. On the other hand, Lillard was not very suitable for the status of the second leader, and when he was with Brother Alphabet, he was a little unable to play, and he was still more suitable to be the boss of a weak team. Lillard averaged 24.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game in the regular season this season, compared to 32.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game last season. This season's Bucks have a final record of 49 wins and 33 losses, with a winning percentage of less than 6 percent, creating a new low in their past six years.
Not only that, but what hit the Bucks hard is that their star brother, Antetokounmpo, was injured at the end of the season. If he doesn't play, he may have more room for Lillard to play, but it is a disaster for the Bucks. In the final card battle of the regular season, the Bucks defeated the Magic by 25 points with Lillard leading the team by a single core. In the second game of the first round of the playoffs against the Pacers, the Bucks also lost the opponent by 17 points at home, without Brother Alphabet to impact the basket, the Bucks' offensive means are indeed very limited, and their overall defensive ability is not as good as it was back then. You know, the Pacers, the opponent of the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs, is a very young team, and they have missed the playoffs in the past three years.
The team boss was also seriously injured, and the NBA favorite to win the championship fell. According to NBA reporter Shams Charania on the show "Run it Back", Brother Alphabet is currently unable to run and fight normally, he heard that Brother Alphabet has begun to do some shooting training, but there is still no cut, no confrontation, no running, and the Bucks need to be prepared for Brother Alphabet's absence. Brother Alphabet has always had the title of "Iron Man", and he has not experienced any major injuries in his career, and even if he is injured, he can often return early within the expected recovery and have a superhuman body. However, this time, Brother Alphabet is probably a little annoyed, and the Bucks have also suffered heavy losses, allowing Lillard to lead the team alone, and the ceiling will definitely not be high. How far do you think the Bucks can go this year?