NBA Playoffs: 4 superstars that will be back in the Conference Finals next year

Star player that will be back in the NBA’s Conference Finals: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Two years removed from their last conference finals appearance, the Milwaukee Bucks traded for Jrue Holiday and PJ Tucker to improve their defense and add depth. These additions, in conjunction with Bobby Portis having a breakout campaign, the Bucks not only made it back to the Eastern Conference Finals but won the franchise’s first NBA title since 1973. As a Khris Middleton and Devin Booker stan but also a Giannis Antetokounmpo detractor, it was admittedly bittersweet watching the Bucks finally get over the hump and win the 2021 NBA Finals.

According to Stathead, the two-time NBA MVP exuded his dominance in the playoffs, becoming just the second player in the shot clock era to average at least 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists per game in the playoffs. The Greek Freak took his play to an even higher level in the Finals. In six games against the Phoenix Suns,  he averaged 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, and 5 assists per game while shooting 61.8 percent from the field.

Now that the Bucks have experienced what it’s like to play in the NBA Finals and all the glory that comes with winning it, they will be hungry for that sweet taste of victory once more. They lost Tucker to the Miami Heat in the off-season, but they added more defense and shooting in free agency, and Antetokounmpo is entering the prime of his career.

He, along with Middleton and Holiday, are locked in for the foreseeable future, making the Bucks perennial title contenders for years to come. As currently constructed, the Brooklyn Nets and the Miami Heat are the only two teams in the East with a chance of derailing the Bucks’ championship aspirations next season.