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NBA Season Preview 2018-19: Preseason power rankings

By Ian Levy

LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 29: Stephen Curry #30 and Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors laugh in the hallway before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 29, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 29: Stephen Curry #30 and Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors laugh in the hallway before the game against the Los Angeles Lakers on November 29, 2017 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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MILWAUKEE, WI – OCTOBER 03: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks takes part in player introductions prior to a preseason game against the Chicago Bulls at the Fiserv Forum on October 3, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI – OCTOBER 03: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks takes part in player introductions prior to a preseason game against the Chicago Bulls at the Fiserv Forum on October 3, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

89. . . Previous: . milwaukee bucks. 11. team

The Bucks are a team who could rapidly move up the rankings this season, potentially even leaping into the back end of the Raptors-76ers-Celtics tier. They have Giannis Antetokounmpo, the best player in the conference, a new coach well regarded for his ability to get the most out of his supplementary pieces and a new stretchy center (Brook Lopez) who could make a world of difference for the off-the-dribble games of Giannis and Eric Bledsoe.

However, the Bucks still have a lot to prove. Projections of them surging into the top of the East are relying a lot on Mike Budenholzer’s ability to get far more out of this roster than his predecessor’s did. Admittedly, that shouldn’t be hard, but lets see how this all fits together and what they can get from Bledsoe and Khris Middleton before the Bucks move any higher.