Several teams are vying to dethrone the Boston Celtics with some getting talked about more than others. In the West, the Thunder and Mavericks are favored to come out the West and in the East, the Celtics are the clear favorite to win it all again followed by the Knicks. Still, two teams in particular have managed to fly under the radar despite their elite talent. The Grizzlies and Bucks ended their season in disappointment primarily due to injuries. Both teams enter this season with much to prove but who is the more underrated contender?
Starting with the Grizzlies, their success will largely depend on the play and leadership of superstar guard Ja Morant. Last season, he played only nine games due to a suspension and injury, averaging 25.1 points per game in those appearances. Unfortunately, his season came to an abrupt end after he sustained a shoulder injury in practice.
Morant's injury was just one part of a challenging season for the Grizzlies, who set an unfortunate NBA record by missing a total of 578 games due to injuries. As a result, the team ended up using 33 different players and fielded 51 different starting lineups over the course of the season.
If the Grizzlies can avoid the injury troubles they faced last year, I expect them to easily secure a spot as one of the top four teams in the Western Conference. Despite being a young team, they possess a great deal of talent when healthy and are capable of making a deep playoff run.
The reason the Bucks have a chance to win a championship, as well as the reason they have fallen short in consecutive postseasons, lies in their superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo. After winning a championship in 2021, they struggled in the last two years primarily due to Giannis's injuries.
Last year, after acquiring eight-time All-Star Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers, the Bucks seemed to have their best opportunity to return to the Finals. Unfortunately, the situation did not unfold as expected. They faced chemistry issues, an unexpected coaching change, and injuries. Giannis missed the entire postseason due to a calf injury, while Lillard missed two games in their first-round series loss to the Indiana Pacers.
Now, with a full training camp ahead and lower expectations, the Bucks have the chance to surprise many. Despite the age of their roster, they are in win-now mode and boast one of the highest-scoring duos in Giannis and Lillard. The team understands what it takes to win a championship and has the necessary talent and coaching. If they can stay healthy come playoff time, the Bucks have a great chance of returning to the Finals.
Ultimately, I believe the Bucks are the more underrated contender primarily because though they have a championship pedigree they are still being overlooked because of their recent playoff misfortune. Though the Grizzlies are a great team they are in a much deeper conference than the Bucks as there are more championship-caliber teams in the West. Though Ja Morant is immensely talented, the Bucks have the better player; when healthy, Giannis is still a top-five player in the NBA. It's not often you consider a team that recently won a title as underrated but the Bucks currently fit that category and can use that to their advantage.
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