Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks Vying For 'Toughest Championship' On Road To 2020 NBA Finals

Before the season was suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Milwaukee Bucks appeared to be well on their way to winning the Eastern Conference and possibly the championship. Giannis Antetokounmpo is expected to win his second straight MVP award, arguably establishing himself as the best player in a league that still includes LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry.

With games set to resume on July 30 after a 141-day hiatus, Milwaukee still has the best title chances of anyone in the East. The road to the 2020 NBA Finals will be filled with uncertainties in the NBA’s Disney “bubble,” making the Bucks’ path potentially more difficult.

“This is going to be the toughest championship you could ever win because, like, the circumstances are really, really tough right now,” Antetokounmpo told reporters Wednesday, disagreeing with the notion that this year’s title should come with an asterisk. “Whoever wants it more is going to be able to go out there and take it.”

Twenty-two NBA teams will each play eight regular-season games over 16 days in Orlando, Florida. With a 6.5-game lead over the No.2 seed Toronto Raptors, Milwaukee is essentially guaranteed the No.1 seed.

But the top spot in the conference isn’t worth nearly what it was four months ago. Home-court advantage is no more, eliminating a significant edge for the Bucks.

The Bucks had been virtually unbeatable in Milwaukee before the suspension, going a league-best 28-3 at home. After losing their first home game of the year, the Bucks won 28 of 30 games at Fiserv Forum.

Milwaukee had the NBA’s best record for much of the season. It remains to be seen if the Bucks can get back to that level after such a long break. The risk of players catching the coronavirus and potentially missing at least two weeks of playing time also adds another level of randomness into the league’s restart.

Outscoring their opponents, by 11.2 points per game, the Bucks had a historic point differential. The Lakers have the NBA’s second-best record and a plus-7.4 point differential. The 2016 Golden State Warriors, who won a record 73 games, outscored their opponents 10.8 points per contest.

The Bucks have the NBA’s best defense by a good margin. They are tied with the Boston Celtics in the East with a 112.3 offensive rating.