The NBA playoffs are still in full swing. The situation in the first round of this year's playoffs is a bit strange, those teams that are more popular and generally favored before the playoffs are currently in a passive situation, on the verge of elimination, or even have been eliminated. The Suns, the Western giants, became the first team to be eliminated in the playoffs this season, or were swept out. Compared to their opponent Timberwolves, the Suns obviously have a more luxurious lineup, more playoff experience, and a top superstar in the league like Durant, but they were completely blown out by the Timberwolves, which is really unexpected. Like the Suns, the Lakers, who are also Western giants and have James and thick eyebrows, also struggled quite in the first round of the playoffs, although the Lakers made adjustments to the roster structure last summer and brought in a large number of forward players.
The goal was to increase the team's average height, improve their defensive ability, and seek some advantage in the matchup, but they still couldn't beat the Nuggets. On the Eastern Conference side, there are several sets of matchups with mixed scores, with the Philadelphia 76ers trailing the Knicks 1-3 and standing on the brink of elimination with one foot. Compared with the Knicks, the 76ers have better book strength, Embiid is also one of the most powerful interior players in the active roster after all, with an average of points per game in the regular season, very rich offensive means, and high efficiency, if he is not injured, this season's MVP and scoring champion are estimated to be his. Maxey, the second leader of the 76ers, as the most improved player this season, has also evolved to the level of an All-Star, with Embiid and Maxey as the basic handicap, the hard power of the 76ers should not be underestimated.
At the same time, the Knicks also let a core player, Randle, so that he could crush the 76ers in the series, which is estimated to be unexpected. On the eastern side, the Philadelphia 76ers have another difficult brother, and that is the Milwaukee Bucks. In the past few seasons, the Bucks have accumulated a deep strong team culture, they are the team with the highest total win rate in the regular season in the past six years, and as Brother Alphabet enters his prime, the Bucks have maintained a championship level in recent seasons. However, in the playoffs last year, the Bucks suffered a blow and were eliminated in the first round, and Brother Alphabet, as the only core of the team, still has some shortcomings, that is, he does not have the ability to project, the key ball is not guaranteed, and he has a strong ability to keep the lower limit, but it is difficult to lead the Bucks single-handedly and make a greater breakthrough in the playoffs.
Because of this, the Bucks made an important decision last offseason, sending away Grayson Allen and Holiday as the two main guards, as well as sending away their 2029 first-round picks, 2028 and 2030 draft picks, and welcoming Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard, which is equivalent to a 5-for-1 trade, hoping that Lillard can help them solve the problem of key balls. Unexpectedly, the addition of Coach Lee did not have an immediate effect, but destroyed the team's original tactical system and weakened the Bucks' own defensive ability. On the one hand, Lillard's own state this season is unstable, with good and bad feelings, and on the other hand, after Lillard left the Trail Blazers, he is not very suitable for his new role, after all, the team boss has been a long time and is not suitable for the identity of the second leader.
In the regular season this season, the Bucks set a new low in their win percentage in the past six years, at only 59.8%. So far in the first round of the playoffs, the Bucks have fallen behind the young dark horse Pacers 1-3 and are on the verge of elimination like the 76ers. Brother Alphabet suffered a calf strain before the end of the regular season and has not returned until now, not playing a single playoff game. In his absence, Lillard may be able to play a little more freely and have more fire, but it's obviously a bad thing for the Bucks as a team. Not only that, but even Lillard has been injured and has been plagued by an Achilles tendon injury in the past few weeks, which has worsened since G3, and he and Antetokounmpo have missed G4 at the same time. Middleton, the third leader of the G4 Bucks, was also almost injured, stepping on an opponent's ankle sprained in one round, and returned to the locker room for inspection.
The boss is injured, and the second is also injured! and the championship is drifting away, and the 5-for-1 transaction is really a big loss. The Bucks are arguably the most unlucky team in this year's playoffs, with the star not playing a game, Lillard unable to turn the tide, and also suffering from injuries, facing the Pacers' fierce offensive climax, they are estimated to be unable to withstand a few games. Looking back at Lillard's deal, it's really not worth it, after all, Lillard is also a veteran of the league, and his form is in a period of decline. Regarding the team's current exit, Bucks head coach Docs Rivers began to perform chicken soup again: "All of us gave it our all, and they really are. I love our team and we always believe we can win future games, no matter what other people think, and that shows a lot of the qualities of our team. "I wonder if the Bucks can advance from the Jedi?