Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks: Who Is The Real Eastern Conference Favorite? (Comparison in Detail)

The Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks are on a collision path in the Eastern Conference Finals, but only one team can win.

The Bucks have formed one of the best duos ever with the Damian Lillard trade

Boston has one of the best starting lineups in the NBA with Jrue Holiday

A best-of-7 series might come down to who is better between Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jayson Tatum

In terms of winning the summer trade market, the Boston Celtics are tied with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks stunned the NBA world by dealing for superstar point guard Damian Lillard, despite having one of the scariest depth charts in the league. Boston is right in the mix, having reached the Finals in 2022 and Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2023.

The Celtics have added All-Star and All-Defensive guard Jrue Holiday to their core, which also includes All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Along with the Bucks, the Celtics are the overwhelming favorite in the East and will most likely face the 2021 champs in the Eastern Conference Finals.

It is only natural to draw parallels between the Celtics and the Bucks in what might be an entertaining Eastern Conference Finals matchup next season. Here is the full comparison and analysis of the two teams, with one team ultimately coming out on top.

Starting Lineups

Boston Celtics: Jrue Holiday, Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis

Milwaukee Bucks: Damian Lillard, Pat Connaughton, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Brook Lopez

The signing of Jrue Holiday, one of the best two-way guards in the NBA, has significantly improved the Boston Celtics’ starting lineup. Holiday is a player that helps teams win, as he demonstrated with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2020-21 season. He was the missing piece for the Bucks, and he may be the same for the Celtics. Holiday is a superior over Marcus Smart in certain aspects, particularly on offense, where he averages 16.4 points and 6.5 assists per game while shooting 36.6% from three. Holiday hit 38.4% from deep last year.

Holiday and Derrick White make a potent backcourt with an enhanced Marcus Smart. After years with the San Antonio Spurs, White made the 2022-23 All-Defensive Second Team and is an intelligent player on both sides of the court. However, the frontcourt is where the Celtics will earn their money. Jaylen Brown is the highest-paid player in NBA history, and as an All-NBA performer, he will average at least 24 points per game while improving his defense next season.

Jayson Tatum is the team’s star, averaging 30.1 points per game last season and being named to the All-NBA First Team for the second time.

Tatum is perhaps the best player in the world right now, and he has playoff experience, having reached the NBA Finals and the Eastern Conference Finals. Finally, the newly acquired Kristaps Porzingis is prone to injury but has the ability to be an All-Star as a 7’3″ big man who averaged 23.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game last season while shooting 38.5% from three.

Damian Lillard leads the Milwaukee Bucks’ frightening backcourt. In 2023, Lillard is second only to Stephen Curry as the best point guard in the world, averaging 32.2 points and 7.3 assists per game while shooting 37.1% from three. Lillard isn’t a great defender, and the Bucks may miss Jrue Holiday in that regard, but Dame is a far more explosive offensive player and one of the best shot-makers in NBA history.

Pat Connaughton, an athletic guard who can span the court and compete on defense, plays beside Lillard. Connaughton understands his position; he hit 33.9% from deep last season and can be counted on to make timely shots. Because of Lillard, this backcourt is explosive offensively, and it complements the frontcourt headed by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton nicely.

Middleton only played 33 games last year and averaged 15.1 points per game, but he should be able to return to his All-Star figures of over 20 points per game on over 44% three-point shooting. Middleton is also an excellent defender and a capable third option. Of course, Giannis is the team’s star. Whatever the Bucks do is determined by Giannis’ performance, which will be excellent. The two-time MVP is a great inside scorer and athlete who is also a defensive suffocator.

Giannis will create a challenging defensive tandem with Brook Lopez, as both are exceptional defenders, with the latter being a shot-blocker who averaged 2.5 blocks per game in 2023. Giannis and Lopez will compensate for the backcourt’s defensive shortcomings, but the Celtics have a significantly stronger starting lineup with no weaknesses. Because no one in the beginning lineup has a specific weakness on either end of the floor, Boston holds a minor advantage in the starting lineup.

Advantage: Boston Celtics

Bench

Boston Celtics: Payton Pritchard, JD Davidson, Jordan Walsh, Dalano Banton, Jay Scrubb, Svi Mykhailiuk, Sam Hauser, Oshae Brissett, Lamar Stevens, Luke Kornet, Al Horford, Wenyen Gabriel, Neemias Queta

Milwaukee Bucks: Cameron Payne, Andre Jackson, Lindell Wigginton, TyTy Washington, Jazian Gortman, Malik Beasley, AJ Green, Omari Moore, M. Beauchamp, Chris Livingston, Jae Crowder, T. Antetokounmpo, Drew Timme, Bobby Portis, Robin Lopez, Marques Bolden

With Malcolm Brogdon and Robert Williams traded to Portland in exchange for Jrue Holiday, the Celtics have lost some depth. However, there is still enough coverage for the team to continue making movements. Payton Pritchard has previously grumbled about playing time, and after only playing 13.4 minutes a game last season, expect him to play around 20 minutes this season. Al Horford is yet another big name off the bench, and as a two-way big man, he is an ideal modern choice for the power forward or center position.

The Celtics have also signed Lamar Stevens and Wenyen Gabriel, both of whom can contribute in the regular season but only sparingly in the playoffs. Jordan Walsh is projected to be a significant contributor, and the Celtics have hyped him up more than we might have thought.

Meanwhile, Cameron Payne, Malik Beasley, Jae Crowder, Bobby Portis, and Robin Lopez lead the Bucks’ bench. Payne was acquired in a trade from the Phoenix Suns and is a strong backup point guard on both sides of the court. Beasley has a lifetime three-point percentage of 37.8% and will receive plenty of open chances playing alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

Jae Crowder is also eager to have a successful season despite being forced to play in only 18 games last year due to personal issues. Crowder is an excellent backup forward who is tough on defense and gritty if he is motivated. Portis and Lopez provide size, defense, and rebounding, while the former is also a strong scorer, averaging 14.1 points per game on 49.6% shooting from the field.

Boston has time to strengthen their bench, but it appears like Pritchard, Walsh, and Horford will be the primary players. That gives the Bucks the advantage, as Payne, Beasley, Crowder, Portis, and Lopez are all capable of playing significant minutes. Milwaukee has the advantage on the bench in terms of shooting, defense, and size.

Advantage: Milwaukee Bucks

Joe Mazzulla vs. Adrian Griffin

Both the Boston Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks have newer coaches with fresh ideas and plenty of time to develop. Joe Mazzulla is known for being a hardworking and dedicated coach, and he has been a key component in the team’s success this year, especially with Ime Udoka dealing with some shocking off-court acts at the start of last year.

Mazzulla, as we have seen, is a genius in designing game strategy and appears to be a player’s coach because he trusts and adores all of his important players. Mazzulla guided the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2023, and having a year of experience with play calling and rotations could help him make better judgments in the future.

Adrian Griffin has been an assistant coach in the NBA since 2008-09, working with a variety of teams. He began as an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2009 to 2010, then moved on to the Chicago Bulls from 2011 to 2015, and finally to the Orlando Magic/Oklahoma City Thunder from 2016 to 2018. Griffin has been recruited to head the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Bucks in 2024, following a five-year run with the Toronto Raptors.

Griffin was an NBA player and has 15 years of experience as an assistant coach, so he has the credentials to take over as head coach of a serious title contender. However, making judgments as the head coach rather than an assistant is a very other world, and Mazzulla has an advantage because he has already gone through that difficult first year.

Advantage: Boston Celtics

Boston Celtics Advantages

The Boston Celtics have an extraordinarily excellent starting lineup. They have a true superstar in Jayson Tatum, an excellent two-way All-Star in Jaylen Brown, and one of the world’s finest defensive lineups in Holiday, White, and Horford. Joe Mazzulla has also kept the Celtics as a dominant team in terms of moving the ball and getting solid shots, particularly when it is fed to the All-Stars. Last season, Boston placed second in offensive rating and fourth in points per game, which is a promising indicator.

With the arrival of Porzingis, the Celtics will be able to maximize the big man’s ability on both sides of the court, thanks to Horford’s support. Kristaps can average at least 20 points per game on a solid team, and as the third offensive option, he will receive plenty of nice looks from the outside while also blocking shots.

Jayson Tatum will be crucial. The superstar is too agile, skilled, and focused for a one-on-one matchup, and he will control what kind of offensive plays the club will run every time down the floor. Not to mention that Tatum is surrounded by excellent shooters. Brown, Holiday, and White can also extend the floor sufficiently to provide Tatum more passing options. Because they have a top ball-handler in Holiday, their playmaking problems will be solved.

Milwaukee Bucks Advantages

With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, the Milwaukee Bucks boast one of the best duos in recent memory. Giannis is a dominant paint player, and as an unstoppable force, defenses frequently crumble around him. Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday have been fantastic backup offensive players, but Damian Lillard is a different level of scorer. Dealing with Giannis allows Lillard to handle defenders one-on-one, giving the Bucks an instant advantage.

Lillard is also an important element who can take over in big moments when the burden is off Giannis. The Greek Freak has a career free-throw percentage of 70.8% and only had 64.5% last season, so the Bucks won’t have to live and die by their star’s free-throw shooting down the line. In the clutch, Dame can essentially take over games better than nearly any other player in the NBA.

The Bucks have also kept a large portion of their championship squad for 2021, with Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis leading the way. Middleton was talented enough to be a championship team’s second choice, so he’ll be even better as a third option. Lopez is an excellent shot-blocker who can also span the floor (37.4% last season), making him an ideal starting center for the Bucks. Portis is another defensively minded large who can also score. In a word, the Bucks have one of the best duos in recent memory, as well as a championship core that has played together before.

Who Is The Better Team In The Eastern Conference?

The Celtics and Bucks both have championship-caliber rosters that vastly outperform the rest of the East. The Celtics have a somewhat superior starting lineup on both ends of the floor, but the Bucks have a deeper bench in terms of guards, forwards, and centers thanks to the loss of Robert Williams. The Celtics, on the other hand, have a more seasoned head coach who has developed connection with his best players, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

When compared to the Celtics, Milwaukee has the top two players on the squad, but the Celtics may have the edge if the Eastern Conference Finals are played as a team. With the signing of Jrue Holiday, Boston has found a way to add an upgraded version of Marcus Smart while also adding skilled two-way big man Kristaps Porzingis around Tatum and Brown. That means the Celtics had an A+ offseason, and if Pritchard and Walsh can produce consistently, they will be able to win a lot of games.

Meanwhile, the Bucks will press, led by Giannis and Dame. Antetokounmpo and Lillard are currently two of the finest players in the world, and they happen to play together. Middleton, Lopez, and Portis are three other essential championship-caliber players who know how to complement Giannis. The issue is that the Bucks must establish synergy because Lillard is used to carrying a franchise and Adrian Griffin does not have a single game under his belt as a head coach.

The Celtics have a starting lineup without a single flaw, chemistry from head to toe, and have acquired two pieces who complement the stars perfectly. Jrue Holiday is an enhanced version of Marcus Smart, and Kristaps Porzingis is more offensively talented than Williams, which means the Celtics can expand on what got them to the NBA Finals in 2022. The Celtics may be able to slip through a seven-game series and make the NBA Finals in 2023-24.