Giannis says [here](https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/35662824/bucks-giannis-antetokounmpo-says-top-seed-matter) that the #1 seed is not the priority, but I really think it needs to be.
Home teams have won 76% of Game 7s. That is a massive number. [https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/nba-home-vs-away-game-7-record](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/nba-home-vs-away-game-7-record)
by glopollster
21 Comments
We’ve seen what happens to this team when we burn out after a 1 seed regular season run.
Team is old. Playoffs are the priority not seeding
All we need is to be higher then the Celtics, which probably means 1 seed
Kinda pointless where game 7 is when bucks in 6
Not at the expense of health, though.
A team this old isn’t doing anything in the playoffs if one of the key guys is hurt.
He just says that stuff all the time to decrease the mental stress on himself and his team. Probably comes from the sports psychologist. I wouldn’t read too much into it.
Wisconsin sports fans should know the 1 seed means absolutely nothing.
I care most about everyone being healthy and at 100%. Number 1 seed would definitely help though.
I agree, let the C’s-76ers battle it out in the semi’s. Would much rather face (a very good) cavs team instead of the 76ers
It would amuse me greatly if the Celtics lost the #1 seed because Jayson Tatum went to his son’s birthday party instead of playing. Though based on the Celtics other games against Orlando, maybe it didn’t matter.
I think people bring up game 7 in Boston last year a lot but completely ignore the fact that we had game 6 to close out at home last year and lost that forced game 7. We also won game 7 on the road in Brooklyn. We can win anywhere if we have the best player in the world.
If it isn’t blatantly obvious by now, nothing is more important than health.
The second most important thing is freshness.
Literally last is home court advantage. Why bust your ass for 82 games at the expense of health and rest when all it takes is 1 game to take it back?
If it isn’t even more obvious, in the Celtics series last year, the Bucks had a better record in Boston than in Milwaukee. It just isn’t that important.
The important thing isn’t getting game 7 at home. It’s waiting until the ECF to play the 2/3 seed. Against the Celtics last year in the playoffs we were 1-2 at home. Had a chance to close it out at home and the game 7 stat wouldn’t even have mattered.
He just gave a standard “we have larger goals than being in first at the end of the season”-type response. I wouldn’t read too much into it.
Agree about home court, but I think the Cavs/Heat/Nets are going to be a good bit easier matchup than having to face Philly or Boston in the Conf. Semifinals. Assuming the favored teams advance, whoever comes out of that 2 v 3 seed series is going have suffered some damage.
Miami literally waltz into the ECF last year just by getting the #1 seed & getting an easier bracket.
I’m not a believer that getting the first seed means you’ll be tired in the postseason.
I want whatever seed that makes Philly play Boston first
There’s no home court advantage in Bucks/Celtics. Had game 7 been at Fiserv last year, we almost certainly lose anyway. We just ran out of gas. He’s right.
I hear the people saying focus on health first, before seeding, but I just don’t think you can “plan” on being healthy. Sure, less minutes for our stars likely means less opportunities to get hurt, but could just as likely mean they’re tight and not warmed up for the minutes they do play. I’d rather them clinch the one seed with a week to go and use that to rest.
Yeah it always irks me when players/teams don’t care about the higher seed. Statistically it MATTERS SO MUCH.
Good luck after struggling to beat a junior varsity team last night
Ever think home team wins a certain amount is skewed because more often than not the home team is the better team?