Bucks Have One Major Advantage Over the Pacers in Playoff Series

The Milwaukee Bucks enter this year’s playoffs as the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, facing off with their rival, the Indiana Pacers. The Pacers knocked the Bucks out of last year’s playoffs, so Giannis and company will be looking for revenge this year.

Besides having Giannis, a huge advantage to have over any opponent, the Bucks on paper seem to have very few advantages over the Pacers, especially with Damian Lillard likely out for at least a few games.

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However, one significant area where the team has an advantage is the bench. The Pacers have a decent bench in their own right, with Bennedict Mathurin now healthy and firing on all cylinders. They also have T.J. McConnell, Obi Toppin, and Ben Sheppard, all solid players.

However, the Bucks have elite three-point shooting off their bench with Gary Trent Jr., Kevin Porter Jr., and AJ Green to support Bobby Portis’s good all-around play. That three-point shooting surrounding Giannis could make a huge difference in the series.

That is exactly what this article from Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star says about the comparison between the two benches.

“The Pacers rank seventh in the NBA in bench scoring with the Bucks 13th and Indiana is first in field goal percentage with the Bucks ranking 15th. However, the Bucks are 1st in bench 3-point field goal percentage and the Pacers are 21st and that might make all the difference.”

In terms of overall talent, the two benches are relatively similar, with one player being the clear sixth man and a couple of other solid bench players as well. However, if the Bucks' bench players can continue to shoot at an elite level, they will be better served in the playoffs and provide better support for the star players.

Role players are often the difference between two teams in the series, especially when it comes to supporting the star players. Top players are relied on to perform well for teams to win in the playoffs, so if the role players make things easier for them, the team has a better chance of winning.

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The Pacers' bench was part of why the team was so successful in last year’s playoff run, but it hasn’t quite been the same as last year. Mathurin is making his playoff debut, so he is a huge x-factor, but for now, the Bucks' bench seems to have a slight edge.

With an edge at the best player in the series and off the bench, all of the other disadvantages the Bucks may have in this series against the Pacers might be mitigated, giving the Bucks a fighting chance to win the series, even potentially without Damian Lillard.

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