Day one of the NBA playoffs featured three stellar games that were fought to the end, and one outright defeat in the form of the Raptors 134-110 win over the Nets. Day two feels a lot like a repeat, with a couple of very intriguing 4-5 fights, a highly anticipated 1-8 streak between the Lakers and Blazers at the start, and then the Bucks opening their title quest against Orlando. Magic.
This is the series I’m here to write about and if you’re struggling to get too excited, well it’s hard to blame you. The Bucks didn’t look like regular-season dominating themselves in the Bubble, but against a Magic team that clashed in the 8-seeded, partly due to Jonathan Isaac’s loss for the year with a ripped ACL. , there is not a lot of intrigue in the same way as the 1-8 series of the West.
However, there are a few things to look out for in this series from both sides beyond the stars, and we’ll explore the X factors that could determine how quickly this series ends.
Milwaukee Bucks: Eric Bledsoe
If there’s ever been a streak for Eric Bledsoe to shed his painful playoff performances of the past and build some confidence during a much needed post-season run for this Bucks team, it’s right here. The Magic’s backcourt has long been their weakness and remains so, with DJ Augustin and Markelle Fultz serving as their top ball handlers and facilitators. Bledsoe was really awful in consecutive post-seasons in Milwaukee, but it unlocks so much for this offense if he’s good because he’s the third creator that it’s hard to plan when you have to spend so much time focusing on Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton. The Bucks don’t need Bledsoe to win this series, but they may need him in the next round or, at least, in the conference finals. A good start could be huge for his safety and create a new narrative for the playoffs.
Orlando Magic: Markelle Fultz
On the other hand, the Magic need Fultz to be really good off the bench to keep their attack going when they go to second unit. The Milwaukee defense packs their bags and will try to make Nikola Vucevic’s life difficult with their length in the form of the Lopez brothers. That means it will be up to the Magic guards to probe the paint to bring down Bucks’ defense and make the right pass to the perimeter. The formula against Milwaukee has always been to simply try to fire at a defense willing to give up those shots. However, it’s up to Augustin and Fultz to create those looks, and Fultz gives them a dynamic that no one else on that team can replicate. If they hit the shots, who knows, they might pull a game out of the Bucks or at least make it a more fun series than expected. If not and their guards aren’t making Milwaukee work and scramble, it will be a short streak and a short trip home for Magic.
.
