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  • You spent a lot of time covering some teams in the Eastern Conference, one of those which the Bucks and a lot of people in basketball circles and Las Vegas have.

  • The Bucks kind of running away with the Eastern Conference.

  • I don't necessarily agree.

  • So try to sell me, convince me about the Bucks, sort of winning the Eastern Conference.

  • Well, you not agreeing is e.

  • I think you're wrong.

  • This'll out to start.

  • I mean, the Bucks last year, the problem partly was that Johannes was just completely shut down when he was double teamed in the playoffs.

  • And the thing about him is, the way that he reacts to that sort of adversity is just to put his head down, do the work and get so much better.

  • So I expect him to come back.

  • He says he's operating at 60%.

  • I expect him to come back way closer to the 100% and the knock on the Bucks is whether or not they have the same depth that they did last year, right?

  • They don't have Malcolm Brogden anymore.

  • He's in Indiana.

  • Will you know the George Hill Pat Connaughton, bench that bench mob as they called themselves be enough?

  • I think so.

  • I mean, they added the NASA's.

  • They added Brook Lopez.

  • So they have both of those twin towers coming in.

  • I just think that this Bucks team is going to be so dominant and the Sixers their their biggest competition.

  • I'm just struggling to see how do well and beat and Al Horford can work together.

  • So if you can convince me of that, bring it on.

  • Well, I will.

  • But I do want to touch us of analysis that they also added Khalq over in West Matthews and everyone talks about Yanis is jump shot.

  • Yonas needs to develop a gun shop, needs to develop a jump shot.

  • Do you really need to develop a jump shot when you're constantly surrounded by three point shooters at all times?

  • When you're on the floor?

  • Well, I mean, last year in the playoffs, he was surrounded by three point shooters, and he still he needed to be able Teoh take over games late and often times.

  • That means he can't just drive to the basket.

  • He needs to be able to to be able to shoot from a little bit of a longer range.

  • So I do think what I was told is that Johannes is already unguardable.

  • Johannes is already a kind of unstoppable.

  • That's what his shooting coach told me.

  • But when he's able to add that jumper, he's going to be even Maura unstoppable than he already is.

  • I mean, I was talking to a guard that's a scout said.

  • When that happens, when he adds that he could be the greatest player in the MBA right now.

  • So I just think that it's an added bonus, right?

  • If he's able to do that, because what happens when when Eric Bledsoe can't hit his shots or Chris Middleton can't hit his shots?

  • You want your best player to be the one that you trust, have the ball with the game on the line.

  • And adding a jump shot will make him make the Bucks even that much more of a favorite.

  • So you've done such a good job convincing myself about the Bucks that I'm already starting to doubt my own 76 pick.

  • But let me just try to get back on the 70 sixes horse here.

  • You can try, but you will not succeed.

  • Lost Jimmy Butler was kind of like their closer, and he was helpful on offense.

  • But I really think what they've done by Adam Richardson and Horford is they've solidified the defense.

  • Horford does so much on defense for that Celtics team in the past, it's gonna help them a lot.

  • And one of the NAC's where the knocks on the Sixers was didn't really have someone to guard point guards, you know, because Ben Simmons famously has the ball on sort of plays point guard, but kind of place in this LeBron ish way.

  • We're not sure if he's a point guard or power forward, and I feel Richardson allows them to put somebody on opposing point guards that will help them a defensive side, the floor and both Horford and Richardson.

  • They should preach.

  • Three's pretty well, so that does add a little bit of shooting to make up for the loss of JJ Reddick.

  • I think Embiid healthy Simmons guaranteed contract for a long time.

  • How settled in two new pieces, Tobias Harris also settled in.

  • They Elton Brand is obviously picked the people that he wants to be on this team for next window and then they'll try to compete for a championship, and I think they'll be in the finals this year.

  • Your thoughts.

  • Eastern Finals.

  • You mean?

  • I absolutely think that the Bucks and the six years of the Onley two teams that I have is a lock in that top four in the Eastern Conference.

  • I think that signing out Horford was equally as important toe at him as it was to make it so that he is no longer the Joel Embiid Kryptonite.

  • He's had a lot of success guarding him.

  • That being said, they are going to Miss JJ Reddick that they need to.

  • It's the same thing is with the Bucks.

  • They need shooters surrounding Joel Embiid and, frankly, Ben Simmons.

  • I mean, we know we've seen some videos of his jump shot coming out of the summer and him working on that, and all of that's great, But they're floor spacing is key.

  • They already got rid of Dario Sarich.

  • They already got rid of Robert Covington, and now JJ Reddick is gone.

  • It's just hard for me to see them unlocking that next level.

  • I think you know the Bucks were in the Eastern Conference finals last year.

  • They're going to be there again, and this year I think they're going to take that next step.

  • They have that experience, and I think that just made them hungry for more, very quickly.

  • I got a lot of phone calls in my ear from Boston when you said that only two of those teams of the top four in the Eastern Conference locking you think you could see the Boston sliding all the way down to like 1/5 of six position?

  • They could, Yeah, I think they could potentially be as high as four.

  • Uh, and as low is, you know, 537 I mean, there's just so many.

  • I think that, you know, Jason Tatum is incredibly talented.

  • Obviously, they added Kemba Walker, But there are just so many young guys there that are going to be shuffling to kind of find their place.

  • I do think they are very talented.

  • That being said, I think this is going to be a little bit of a chemistry and developmental year for them.

  • Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube.

You spent a lot of time covering some teams in the Eastern Conference, one of those which the Bucks and a lot of people in basketball circles and Las Vegas have.

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