Historically Speaking, The Bucks Might Be The Best Team The NBA Has Ever Seen
Just like I did yesterday with the Raptors and their insane streak (that is now up to 15 games)
I want to do my part to make sure the small markets out there get the publicity they so rightfully deserve. Even when it comes to a team like MIL, a group that is a direct competitor to my favorite team, we need to be making a bigger deal of what they are doing this season. I'll phrase it the same way I phrased the Raptors blog. If LAL/LAC/PHI/GS/HOU etc were on pace to be the most dominant team the NBA has seen in their entire existence, it would be all we heard about. Unless you're a Bucks fan and live in that world, the general consensus from everyone else feels more like "Yeah, they're good. Same as last year nbd".
Wrong. Very big deal. Remember how huge of a story it was when the Warriors went for the 73-9 record? Sure they blew it in the end but it was stuffed down our throats every single day. Well not only are the Bucks threatening to achieve that same thing, but they are doing it in a much more dominant fashion. Something many didn't even think was possible after that GS team is going down in MIL and they are showing no signs of slowing down. Looking at what they've accomplished so far, the numbers don't make any goddamn sense.
Currently on a 71 win pace
Did you know the Bucks haven't lost more than 2 games in any month this season? Now let's be transparent, it helps by having the 2nd easiest schedule in the NBA up until this point, and the Bucks will finish the season with the 5th toughest schedule. To be 34-1 vs teams under .500 is pretty remarkable.
The question then becomes if they should even go for the record or at least try to tie it. That would mean they could only lose 2 more times all year which on the surface feels insane since we aren't even at the All Star Break yet. We saw last year they don't really "rest" guys late in the year even though their #1 seed is more than locked up, and I don't expect them to this year either with Giannis trying to go back to back as the MVP.
Their insane scoring differential
OK so this is the craziest part. You look at some of the all time great teams in NBA history, and nobody has been more dominant than MIL. See for yourself
So there are a lot of numbers here. Obviously you see the 2019-20 Bucks at the top and almost every team in that top 20 won the NBA title. Part of that is how they destroy bad teams and the strength of their schedule, but it doesn't take away from their dominance.
Their insane net rating
Much like point differential, the Bucks are also blowing everyone out when it comes to net rating. Their +11.8 leads the NBA and is far and away better of the next closest (LAL at 7.3 and BOS at 7.2) and it's not just because of Giannis. Look at this graphis
Even when you take away Giannis, the Bucks STILL have the best net rating in the NBA. That is outrageous and speaks to how deep this team is.
Compare them to the 2015-16 Warriors, the last team we saw look this dominant. They had a net rating of +10.6 and a point differential almost 2 points lower than what these Bucks have. That team went 73-9. Maybe you think the 2016-17 Warriors were more dominant despite not winning 70+ games, well they had a +11.4 net rating and a lower point differential as well.
Unfortunately for MIL and their fans, given their choke job in last year's ECF (and yes, losing 4 straight is a choke job. Trust me I witnessed my team do the same shit), nobody is going to give a shit about what we're witnessing until we see this team in the postseason. At the bare minimum the expectation for this team is to make the NBA Finals, and history suggests maybe the expectation should be they win the whole thing. Maybe they will maybe they won't, but that doesn't change the fact that we are witnessing the most dominant season by a team in NBA history.
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Instead of talking about that though we instead get pundits on TV talking about where Giannis should play next. That would annoy the shit out of me as a Bucks fan. If someone like me, a blogger who is definitely salty with the fact that MIL has dominated the Celts as of late, can put that aside and appreciate what we are seeing from MIL, everyone else should be able to as well.