Are the Milwaukee Bucks being surpassed in the East? One ESPN personality thinks so.
Tim Legler on the latest episode of the ALL NBA Podcast said the Bucks are looking at the No. 7 seed and the play-in tournament because their competition has improved during the free agency window this summer and the Bucks have remained "stale."
"There's no change that was to me an infusion of adrenaline and excitement," Legler said. "A lot of these other teams did, and I don't feel (the Bucks) did. ... They kinda stood pat on a year that was disappointing."
The Bucks finished with a 49-33 record and the No. 3 seed last season, but lost in the first round to the Indiana Pacers after Giannis Antetokounmpo didn't see the court due to injury. Most of the roster is still intact, including the more prominent names like Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, Bobby Portis and Pat Connaughton.
General manager Jon Horst could make trades. He said the team has limited flexibility regarding its roster, but it signed two players in free agency so far — Delon Wright and Taurean Prince. The team also added two rookies in the draft — AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith.
Meanwhile, the Bucks competition have made big splashes this offseason. The New York Knicks, last year's No. 2 seed, traded five first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for forward Mikal Bridges, while the Philadelphia 76ers, the No. 7 seed last year, added star Paul George in free agency.
Legler is high on the Knicks and Sixers now. Here are his top 7 in the Eastern Conference:
- Celtics
- Knicks
- 76ers
- Pacers
- Magic
- Cavaliers
- Bucks
Here were the East standings last year:
- Celtics 64-18
- Knicks 50-32
- Bucks 49-33
- Cavaliers 48-34
- Magic 47-35
- Pacers 47-35
- 76ers 47-35 (play-in tournament)
- Heat 46-36 (play-in tournament)
- Bulls 39-43 (play-in tournament)
- Hawks 36-46 (play-in tournament)
- Nets 32-50 (did not make playoffs)
- Raptors 25-57 (did not make playoffs)
- Hornets 20-61 (did not make playoffs)
- Wizards 15-67 (did not make playoffs)
- Pistons 14-67 (did not make playoffs)