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2019-20 NBA season: Record predictions for every team

By Christopher Kline

PLAYA VISTA, CA - SEPTEMBER 29: Los Angeles Clippers Forward Kawhi Leonard (2) and Los Angeles Clippers Forward Paul George (13) pose for a photo during media day at the Los Angeles Clippers Training Center on September 29, 2019 in Playa Vista, California. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PLAYA VISTA, CA - SEPTEMBER 29: Los Angeles Clippers Forward Kawhi Leonard (2) and Los Angeles Clippers Forward Paul George (13) pose for a photo during media day at the Los Angeles Clippers Training Center on September 29, 2019 in Playa Vista, California. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks get the nod over Philadelphia for one reason — continuity. It’s the same concept applied to Denver in the West, even though the circumstances are different. The Bucks are a similar team to last season, with personnel built to run the same system. The Sixers have undergone a complete overhaul.

Mike Budenholzer is engraved in the NBA lexicon as a winning coach. He puts his players in a position to succeed, as evidenced by Milwaukee’s massive jump forward as soon as Bud took over. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the MVP, and Bud’s rotations will be tailored around the Greek Freak’s dominance as a slasher.

When it comes to the regular season, having a durable star of Antetokounmpo’s nature is a huge advantage. He can single-handedly lift Milwaukee to victories, coupling his immense gravity on offense with a Defensive Player of the Year-worthy presence on the other end.

The Bucks will score efficiently and defend at an elite level. Given the limited nature of his role, the Brogdon loss will hurt, but it’s not crippling. George Hill, Wesley Matthews and others can step into the void with success.

Right now, there’s not a ton of resistance in the East. Milwaukee stands alongside Philadelphia as clear favorites. Brooklyn, Boston, Miami and others deserve attention, but it’s shaping up to be a two-horse race at the moment. One the Bucks are well-equipped to compete in.

Milwaukee is running back the core elements of a 60-win team — one that, before collapsing, went up 2-0 on the eventual champions in the conference finals. The Bucks are now a year older, a year wiser, and a year more Giannis’d.

Final prediction: 59-23, No. 1 seed Eastern Conference