‘DON’T COUNT GIANNIS OUT’ 🗣️ – Perk thinks the Bucks have a chance to win the East | NBA Countdown

‘DON’T COUNT GIANNIS OUT’ 🗣️ – Perk thinks the Bucks have a chance to win the East | NBA Countdown

So Brian what is the path if any do the Bucs have to making it out of the East here well one of the things that’s been a factor for them is can they get this number two seed right and get home court in their first couple rounds and

Something to really pay attention to is what’s going on with Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland Donovan is dealing with a sore knee that he went and got some PRP for came back then was feeling discomfort in the knee and his back shut down again he’s also dealing with a nasal fracture

But the calav seating is becoming less important as it is to making sure the Donovan is healthy the Cavs hav easier schedule and the tiebreaker over the Bucks and they’re only one game separated in the standings so that’s something that I’m expecting to watch but if they have to keep and protect

Donovan down the stretch they could take some losses and that could open the window for the bucks to get this two seat and this end up being a preview of the Eastern Conference fins yeah there is a literal large sizable gap between the Celtics and the bucks but I do think

That the Gap is closing in some ways because you know a lot of the Eastern Conference standings is predicated on health and they are starting to get healthier even though jannis is not playing t at the right time thank you w for that information about the hamstring

Not being so serious and you know I think about the playoffs in a situation where On Any Given night Giannis and Dame could potentially be the better players amongst Duos on the floor Giannis is still giving us 30 30 points per game and 11 rebounds per game Dame

Has rounded form him since Allstar he was shooting around 33% from three in uh pre- Allstar post Allstar 40% he’s being more aggressive and so I think that’s a very difficult situation if you’re assessing where the Bucks were in January February to where they are now

Even though you look at that one and two Gap the Gap when it comes to competing on a night and night basis the Gap is probably smaller than people think I think the player who gives the Bucks a chance to close the gap on Boston is Chris Middleton he just returned after a

Month out I talked to Doc Rivers about this uh over the weekend and getting a third score getting somebody who’s IQ with this group you know just makes them more dangerous in the playoffs and you know Chris Middleton can guard his position he was I don’t know that he is

Going to be an All-Star level player again with the injuries he’s had but they don’t need as much from Chris Middleton in Milwaukee than they did when they won a title against Phoenix but they do need him on the floor they do need him contributing and if he can

Stay on the floor the rest of the way I think that makes them much more formidable and I think that puts them in a conversation with the Celtic team no I agree and look if they was to match up in the series I think it it would go

Seven games it’s that close you can’t count out Giannis and I damn sure is I’m damn sure not about to against Damen Lillard a guy who has shown us time and time again that when he’s asked to perform at the highest level he does it and so when I look at the Milwaukee

Bucks and I look at their front line Giannis Brook Lopez Bobby poris and what he’s been bringing to the table I’m looking at the Celtics front line and I’m like okay you got christop porzingis you do have Al Horford and you got Luke carnette which front line are you taking

In that series The physicality and then you talking about the Eastern Conference Finals it’s going to get interesting there was a time Brian I think particularly on paper you looked at the Milwaukee Bucks in the Boston Celtics as really a two team Race in the Eastern Conference Finals now that we are just

Mere weeks away from the playoffs beginning do you still have that same feeling that same conviction know we we still have so much uncertainty about so much health with some of their competition Joel embiid can he come back how will he look if he can come back

Will they be able to avoid the play in tournament I mentioned Donovan Mitchell the New York Knicks are getting healthier but now we have ogan noi re sideline still don’t know about Julius Randall you know to beat the Celtics you got to be at the top of your game and

When they played the Bucks two years ago Yannis ran out of gas Middleton didn’t miss that series it was a grueling seven game series and by game seven in Boston he just didn’t have enough if you’re going to beat this team especially without home court advantage you got to

Have all of your players at performing at a high level yeah and you can make the same case for the Celtics when they made to the NBA finals versus the Warriors they ran out of gas in some ways and and per I know you mentioned the front court but I do think to

Challenge that look at the perimeter the back court for the Celtics if you’re going to talk about the defense that is stalwart for the bucks having prior you know potential Defensive Player of the Year candidates look at the defensive front uh back court that they could have

Between Derek white Drew holiday who was integral on that bucks Championship so like I do think it balances out in some ways more so in the Celtics favor and I’m glad you bought that up because they are favored the Celtics are and by the way if they don’t win the championship

It’s a complete failure right you think about what Brad Stevens and Wick gck has did for us building adding pieces around Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown every offseason they have been aggressive making sure they get the pieces around them and like we heard Jason Tatum and

Jaylen Brown both say this has been the best team that they’ve been a part of so they have zero excuses I think BR is a front runner for executive of the year when you look at the the trade they made for porzingis the trade they made for Drew holiday the contracts that they’ve

Signed I’m going to go all the way back to the trade to get Derek white they’ve done a brilliant job of stocking this team while leaving their options open while not destroying their payroll but obviously you got to finish the [Applause] job NBA on is

On NBA Countdown, Chiney Ogwumike, Adrian Wojnarowski, Brian Windhorst and Kendrick Perkins join Malika Andrews to discuss the Milwaukee Bucks’ chances to win the East.

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