Who do we want in the first round?

At this point in the late season, the Bucks are pretty much guaranteed a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference for the 2018 NBA Playoffs. They have been flip-flopping between the 6, 7, and 8 seed as the back half of the season has gone on, and every fan is praying that they would just stay in one spot so they can prepare themselves for their projected first-round playoff matchup. However, as this flip-flopping has gone on, there is only one team I want the Bucks playing in the first round of the 2018 playoffs. Here’s how the playoffs are looking right now…

Current Eastern Conference Playoff Picture:

  1. Toronto Raptors (55-22)
  2. Boston Celtics (53-24, 2 games back)
  3. Cleveland Cavaliers (48-30, 7.5 games back)
  4. Philadelphia 76ers (47-30, 8 games back)
  5. Indiana Pacers (46-32, 9.5 games back)
  6. Miami Heat (42-36, 13.5 games back)
  7. Washington Wizards (42-36, 13.5 games back)
  8. Milwaukee Bucks (42-36, 13.5 games back)

The Bucks have been switching back and forth with the Miami Heat a lot, because the Heat own the tie breaker, and the Bucks can’t seem to keep a better record then them. Every time they fall into the same record as the Heat, they claim the 8 seed, due to the tie breaker. Despite the high expectations the Bucks started the season with, at this point, just having a playoff spot at all feels like a blessing.

But I’ll tell you who the Bucks want to play in the first round:

Boston Celtics

Here’s the main reason Bucks fans should want a matchup with the Celtics in the first round: Kyire Irving. Kyrie Irving had to go through surgery last week, placing him on a 3-6 week timetable to return. This means at the earliest, he’ll be back for the first round, but will be thrown in and forced to try to mesh with the changes the team has made without him in the lineup. However, Kyrie did have surgery to remove a wire in his knee from a previous injury and therefore is likely to miss the start of the playoffs. It is unlikely anyone will know for sure when Kyrie is going to be ready to play until a day or two beforehand. Therefore, the Bucks should be shooting to play the Celtics in the first round. Currently tied with the Heat and Wizards, the Bucks are losing a three-way tie breaker and sit at the 8-seed which would mean they are set to meet the Toronto Raptors in the first round. But with their next two opponents being the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knicks, those should be two easy wins to hopefully set them apart from one of those two teams. This puts the Bucks in a tough position, because you can’t risk losing games on purpose at this point, but if you win too many games you move up to 6 seed and matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers and there is nothing scarier than a playoff Lebron James.

 

It is going to be difficult to perfectly land yourself in the 7 seed when you’re stuck in a three-way tie for 6th place. However, with the Bucks having the easiest remaining schedule out of the three teams, they should be in control. They just beat the Celtics last night (although they were missing Kyrie Irving, Marcus Smart, and Terry Rozier), which is a good teller of how that first round matchup could go. Their toughest matchup is going to come in the last game of the season against the Philadelphia 76ers. That game will show the Bucks in their prime playoff form, because chances are, that game is going to decide what playoff spot they are going to get. It is going to be one exciting and nerve-wracking end to the season. Pray for a first round matchup with the Celtics!

 

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