[Izulde]

[u]Point Guard[/b]
Monte Morris - 24 - 3rd Season
The former second round pick has blossomed into a legitimately capable starter. Averaged 14.9 points on 47.9% shooting, 33.5% from behind the arc. Beautiful midrange and interior game on offense. Needs to take another step in generating assists and defense before he can be more than a fifth starter, but he's ball-secure and has a sweet shooting stroke.

Eric Bledsoe - 30 - 10th Season
14.4 points, 5.7 assists, 4.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals a game. In many ways, the complete antithesis of Morris. Savvy veteran, but 41.9% shooting and 29.2% behind the arc are ugly conversion numbers in today's efficiency-obsessed NBA. Excellent floor general skills and a shutdown defender in every sense of the word. His offensive limitations have prevented him from truly being what the Bucks need and a major part of why Milwaukee failed to break 50 wins, but he gets a tasty matchup here.

Advantage: Bucks

[u]Shooting Guard[/b]
Nicolas Batum - 31 - 12th Season
Virtually invisible on offense despite 49.1%/37.5% from 3 point. He's basically in this lineup due to his exceptional defense and Joe Harris' injury that will keep the 3 point sniper out of Game 1. The Hornets used Batum in a rotation here with the Harrises - Joe and Gary, and while the Frenchman is penciled in as Game 1's starting SG, don't be surprised to see someone else called as the series goes on.

Kyle Korver - 38 - 17th Season
In the lineup for one reason - his 44.4% 3 point shooting as a pure spot-up gunner. It's his single skill, and much like point guard, we have inverse images playing against each other. It will be one of the most fascinating matchups to watch.

Advantage: Draw

Small Forward
Andrew Wiggins - 24 - 6th Season
When he's on, Wiggins is brilliant - a multifaceted contributor and two way player. When he's off, he's really off. It translated into 14.5 points, shooting 40.3% and 29.1% from downtown. Don't be surprised to see him get dealt in the offseason for a better fitting piece - the front office hates inconsistency and have been disappointed with the former Kansas star's inability to take advantage of a setup that was supposed to make him a franchise showcase.

Khris Middleton - 28 - 8th Season
16.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and assists - 46.2%, 36.9% from behind the arc. Essentially, Middleton represents the optimal Wiggins if his counterpart had lived up to expectations - a two-way second fiddle star next to an elite talent that forms a contender. As is, however, K-Mid is simply better on all levels. This spells trouble for the Hornets' hopes for an upset, when their most talented player is against an older, glowed-up version of himself.

Advantage: Bucks

Power Forward
Kenneth "The Manimal" Faried - 30 - 9th Season
If he didn't break his wrist partway through the season, the Manimal's 17.4 points and 7.1 rebounds on 60.6% shooting would run away with the Most Improved Player award. Not even at the heights of his Nuggets tenure was he ever this successful. Excellent offensive rebounder who somehow just fits within Charlotte's setup. Completely inexplicable, though some say it's about playing himself into a secure payday for another squad this summer.

Giannis "The Greek Freak" Antetokounmpo - 25 - 7th Season
If you don't know him, you don't know basketball. That said, he regressed significantly this season - and that regression was 19 points, 11 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.8 steals, shooting 49% and 29% from behind the arc. Last year's MVP took a major step back in his shooting ability, which is another major part of why Milwaukee sat well back of the Top 2 seeds. That said, you're dreaming if you think these two nicknamed forwards are even close in ability.

Advantage: Bucks

Center
Cody Zeller - 28 - 7th Season
The Hornets' March swoon coincide with Zeller's injury. The hulking defensive big man has the ability to take over games (4 PotG honors this season) but can't do it consistently and failed to average even 10 points a game. He's also a mediocre rebounder. He's another fifth starter on a contender like so many of the players in this Charlotte first five.

Brook Lopez - 32 - 12th Season
5% away from the 50/40/90 club due to 85.7% FT shooting, but still averaged 14.3 points and 1.7 blocks. So he can't rebound. Who cares? He's a defensive god and the very incarnation of a stretch 5. If you like the new age NBA, he's one of the most delightful players in the league to watch.

Advantage: Bucks

Bench
You know the names by now - Gary Harris, Joe Harris, Kadeem Allen, and Nerlens Noel. Allen's 10.7 points and 38.5% 3 point shooting were a D-League rescue revelation, Joe Harris was 53.5/52.5% downtown shooting for 11.5 points between his two teams and won the 3 Point Shooting Contest. Gary Harris disappointed in his shooting like Wiggins, suggesting he could find himself out the door as well, despite his defense. Nerlens Noel revived his career with 8.6 points, 6 rebounds, and a block per game, showing off a deadly midrange shot. Re-signing him will be a front office priority.

D.J. Augustin only started 3 games in Milwaukee before moving to a bench 6th man role, but his PPG, FG% and 3P% all went up after arriving at the deadline - proving precisely what the Bucks hoped they were getting. Otherwise this is pretty much a bunch of good defenders who don't really contribute all that much on offense, though Robin Lopez here as his brother's backup is cool.

Advantage: Charlotte

Snapshot Synopsis
The Hornets have one of the league's best bench mobs, but the talent disparity here is simply far too great.
Bucks in 4

Sounds about right. Can't even argue with that.

Game 1
Khris Middleton goes off for 29 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo hits a near triple-double with 20 points, 15 rebounds, 9 assists, a steal, and 3 blocks. So we got wrecked, right? Well, no. We held Greek Freak to a 6 of 23, 1 of 8 from the arc night (26.1%, 12.5%) - his worst night as a pro, practically. All five of our starters scored 12 or more, led by Monte Morris' 25 points, 6 assists, and a steal to be named PotG. Kadeem Allen was ever-present off the bench - 8 points, 7 assists, 3 steals - while Nerlens Noel contributed 11 points and 5 boards. Also with a rough shooting night - Kyle Korver at 1 of 8, 1 of 7 downtown, and we held D.J. Augustin to 0 points. Us - 53.1% Bucks - 41.8%, and we walk out as huge upset winners. 538's NBA chat loses their minds, as do a lot of the sports media.
Charlotte 113 Milwaukee 105

Game 2
At this point, we're playing with house money. Never dreamt we'd snatch HCA. Heroic 21 points and 18 rebounds from Kenneth Faried and 10 bench points each from Kadeem Allen and Caleb Martin, but our shooting completely deserts us in this one - 39.8% from the floor. Giannis Antetokounmpo gets his triple-double in this one - 20 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists, and 2 steals to win Player of the Game. D.J. Augustin comes uncorked for 16 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds, and Robin Lopez scores 11. We were never really in it after giving everything in Game 1. Great fourth quarter comeback effort to eat into their 27 point lead, but we fell short.
Charlotte 87 Milwaukee 95

Game 3
We found out after Game 2 that two key injuries occurred: Khris Middleton on their side and Monte Morris on ours were ruled out for Game 3. What follows is a fascinating game. Things are tight in the first quarter, but then we open it up in the second and never look back, winning a rout in front of our home fans. Absent his running mate, Giannis Antetokounmpo once again has an insane counting stats line of 29 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 7 steals (!) along with a block that masks an 8 of 23 shooting night. Biggest shock of the evening: Cody Zeller waking up to score 22 points with 9 rebounds and 2 blocks to take Game MVP. Andrew Wiggins shot a pristine 10/13 for 24 points. David Stockton stepped up big off the bench with 14 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocks, Gary Harris scored 12, and Mason Plumlee put up 10 points and 8 boards.
Milwaukee 96 Charlotte 117

Game 4
We'd held the Bucks to under 43% shooting 3 straight games. Tonight, they came unleashed - battering us by shooting 51% from the floor. Giannis Antetokounmpo with 19 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 steals, Brook Lopez with 22 points, and matching 10 bench points from Robin Lopez and Donte Divicenzo. Insult to injury? Ersan Illysova scoring 13 in just 8 minutes. The good for us: Andrew Wiggins for 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 steals, Kenneth Faried scoring 20, and Nerlens Noel 18. The bad? Everything else. Kadeem Allen is 1 for 14 as a starter in Games 3 and 4. We really need Monte Morris back.
Milwaukee 118 Charlotte 94

The Clippers dump the T-Wolves in a sweep. I'm smirking to see my prediction of the Lakers' underachieving coming true - they're tied 2-2 with Dallas.

Game 5
It hurts to give up HCA after we stole it in Game 1, but I never really imagined we'd be tied after 4. I figured at most, we'd get a fluke game and be down 1-3. Giannis Antetokounmpo puts up a pedestrian 35 points and 14 rebounds, not even sniffing a TD, but Brook Lopez scores 20 and D.J. Augustin adds 16 off the bench. Our starters all stunk up the joint. Joe Harris (18 points), Nerlens Noel (12 points), and Mason Plumlee (truly weird line for him of 11 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists, and 3 steals[/b]. Frustrating - we were up heading into the 4th quarter, but completely melted down in the last frame, evaporating a 13 point lead to fall at the last second. Heartbreaking.
Charlotte 110 Milwaukee 122

Jazz eliminate Warriors in 5 to no one's surprise. Spurs shock Houston in 5 as Pop's magic continues to live on. 76ers put away Pacers in same and Celtics shrug off Kyrie Irving's Nets.

Game 6
First quarter went well, but after that, it was all Milwaukee. All five of their starters scored 11 or more, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo's 26 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks, and 4 steals, and Eric Bledsoe's 23 points. Kenneth Faried puts up a weak man's 10/10 DD, Cody Zeller scores 20 and that was about all she wrote in a game that wasn't even as close as the final scoreline indicates.
Milwaukee 108 Charlotte 98

We gave it everything we had, had our chances to at least take it to 7, but in the end, fell short to the talent imbalance. I feel like my home state's team is still fundamentally flawed in ways that will be exploited. Dallas also sees its upset hopes evaporate in 6, and the Knicks (still feels weird to see them in the playoffs) finally put away the Magic in the same. No 7 game series in the first round.

I'm proven right when Milwaukee is dispatched in 5 by Boston. The Lakers enjoy the cakewalk of the Spurs in 5 as well, though I'm stunned to see the Jazz prevent an all-LA WCF by ridding the Clippers in their own 5. I thought sure that'd go 7 games. What I didn't expect to go 7 - Knicks/76ers - somehow New York pushed it to the full frame before falling in the final in Philly.

It's 76ers/Lakers finals - both of them knocking off their CF opponents in 5. Utah losing that quickly doesn't surprise me, but I thought Boston would put up a tougher fight.

Lakers take the title in 6 and they could have just as easily swept in my opinion. Felt like they were toying with Philly a bit to generate ratings and revenue.

On to the offseason.