The Milwaukee Bucks survived against the Orlando Magic.
Despite not having their two best players, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, Jamahl Mosley’s team still took the Bucks down to the wire in the NBA Emirates Cup quarterfinals.
That’s why Charles Barkley doesn’t think the Bucks are for real.
Following the Bucks’ win, the Hall of Famer doubted the Bucks’ ability to take down teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers or Magic in a seven-game series.
"They're not a contender. Shaq is 100% correct… I'm not sure they can beat Cleveland… And if Orlando's healthy, they can't beat Orlando in a 7-game series, in my opinion." – Charles Barkley on the Milwaukee Bucks pic.twitter.com/xIwvFSF5AA
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 10, 2024
The Bucks have turned the corner after a slow start to the season.
Doc Rivers’ team took things up a notch on the defensive end of the floor to get back on track.
Nevertheless, Barkley might be right about his assessment of this team.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is still one of the best two-way players on Earth, and he will get his numbers regardless.
On the other hand, Damian Lillard continues to be inconsistent, and he’s left plenty to be desired since he arrived in Wisconsin.
Khris Middleton has missed most of the season and might never return to his former level.
They still miss Jrue Holiday and his suffocating backcourt defense.
On top of that, Coach Rivers is infamous for blowing leads in the playoffs, so he’s another reason to doubt this team.
The Eastern Conference is as stacked as it’ll ever be, and the margin for error is close to none, so the Bucks might not have what it takes this year.
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