The Milwaukee Bucks will start the 2021/22 NBA campaign as the reigning champions following a terrific playoff run last season. The Bucks will try to revalidate their title in an Eastern Conference (and NBA in general) that got a lot harder this offseason.
After all the moves around the league, the ESPN early NBA power rankings are here, with the Brooklyn Nets taking 1st place. The Bucks and Lakers follow the Nets’ Big 3, respectively.
These positions sparked debates around the league, with people making a case for Milwaukee or Los Angeles as the rightful 2nd place. Jalen Rose and David Jacoby discussed this topic in a recent edition of ‘Jalen & Jacoby.’
Rose believes the 2nd place belongs to the Bucks, while Jacoby sided with the newly-formed Lakers superteam. The former Michigan University standout explained why the Bucks’ Big 3 earned this place after the last campaign (2:00).
“I want to remind you something. There’s a valedictorian walking the face of the earth representing the king of the court in the NBA. Giannis the ‘Greek Freak’ Antetokounmpo. You saw what he just did in the? You saw Khris Middleton make a name for himself as a closer. You see Jrue Holiday getting steals and locking down on D.”
The Bucks deserve some respect after what they did last year. This team fought hard to win the championship and showed their character in every round. A 3rd place wouldn’t be bad for them, either, but coming off a championship season, you need to be at least top 2 in the league.
The Lakers are yet to demonstrate they can be good with their new players. This could also be the 2022 NBA Finals. If that happens, this debate could be settled once and for all.
