Is this the year the Milwaukee Bucks break through to the NBA Finals?
It's crowded at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, with three elite teams battling for the top seed.
The Brooklyn Nets (40-20) and Philadelphia 76ers (39-20) are currently atop the Eastern Conference standings, and both have garnered most of the headlines this season.
But the Milwaukee Bucks, who finished first in the East each of the past two regular seasons, aren't far behind at 36-22.
And they might just be flying under the radar this time around.
The Bucks are fresh off a 124-117 win over the Sixers on Thursday in a game that wasn't that close. They took apart the 76ers early and led 108-87 after three quarters, easily discarding a team that many think could not only make it out of the Eastern Conference but also potentially win a championship.
After the impressive victory, Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke about how his team treated the matchup with the Sixers like a playoff game.
For the first time in three years, the Bucks aren't the favorites, and that makes them the hunters rather than the hunted.
After claiming the best record in the NBA in the 2018-19 season, the Bucks fell to the eventual champion Toronto Raptors in the conference finals. They once again had the league's best record in 2019-20 before losing in the conference semis to the Miami Heat, who went on to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the Finals.
After two consecutive postseason disappointments and with two teams sitting above them in the standings, it's possible the Bucks are being undersold this time, according to FS1's Kevin Wildes. He explained why on "First Things First."
While the Bucks have holdovers from the past two postseasons in Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and Donte DiVincenzo, their roster has been upgraded as well.
They acquired Jrue Holiday in a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans this past offseason and signed Bobby Portis as a free agent. Both players are paying dividends for the team in a major way so far this season.
Holiday is averaging 17.2 PPG while contributing 4.5 RPG and 5.6 APG. Portis is averaging 11.4 points and seven rebounds while leading the Bucks in 3-point percentage, at 48.5%.
Then the Bucks also traded for veteran forward P.J. Tucker at the trade deadline, adding to their roster a tough player with valuable playoff experience.
But even with this improved roster and the reigning two-time league MVP in Antetokounmpo, the Bucks don't have what it takes to make it out of the East, according to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith.
The reason? Charles Barkley.
In all seriousness, the Bucks' fate won't be decided by the words of Barkley or Smith or any other analyst.
It will be decided by their play on the court and whether they can finally get over the postseason hurdle that has tripped them the past two years.
The rest of the Eastern Conference is waiting to find out.
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