4 Reasons the Warriors Should Prefer to Face the Bucks in the NBA Finals

The Milwaukee Bucks had the best record in the regular season at 60-22 and started their playoff run with a 10-1 record. However, after two straight road losses against the Raptors, their weaknesses are finally showing. While the Warriors are waiting for their next Finals opponent after sweeping the Trailblazers, they might be cheering for the Bucks. Despite Milwaukee's dominance thus far, here are four reasons why Golden State would prefer to play them.

1. Inexperience is Showing

The Bucks haven't made this type of run before. This playoff jaunt is the furthest that many of their players have ever gone, including key starters such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Eric Bledsoe. Meanwhile, Toronto has battle-tested veterans such as Marc Gasol, Kyle Lowry, and Serge Ibaka. On the other hand, Kawhi Leonard isn't going to get fazed by the big stage after numerous Finals appearances and a NBA Finals MVP to his name.

2. They Rely on Too Many Players

The Bucks are still consistently rolling out a nine-man rotation, despite it being the Eastern Conference Finals. However, it's essential to their success; they still rely on their depth to produce. Besides the Greek Freak and Middleton, the Bucks don't have another consistently reliable option. The rest of their scoring hinges on the 3-point shooting of role players. On an off-shooting night, Toronto still has multiple players who can deliver. Milwaukee simply loses.

3. They Don't Have Enough Star Power

Khris Middleton was an All-Star during the regular season, but his performance agains the Raptors proves that he can not be relied upon as the second option on a title winner. Before his 30-point outburst in Game 4, he was averaging 10.7 points per game in the series while shooting 33.3% overall. The third option behind Middleton is Eric Bledsoe, who has become an absolute shell of himself when it's mattered most. When pressure runs high and star players need to step up, the Bucks only have Giannis.

4. Giannis' Shooting is Being Exposed

Giannis can still get to the rim at will, but his lack of shooting is allowing his opponents to stick far closer to other long-range assassins. In recent games, it's become clear Giannis also depends on free throws for a bulk of his points. However, he is just shooting 63.4% from the line against the Raptors, and that includes some really bad misses. When the Warriors are running their fast-paced offense and bombing away threes, Milwaukee can fall behind in a hurry if all their shooters are tightly covered and their star can only score twos (or singular points at a time).