“Bucks will end the season #1 in the East” - Brandon Jennings on Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks

Former Milwaukee Bucks player Brandon Jennings believes Giannis Antetokounmpo would lead the defending champions to the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season.

The Bucks have gotten off to a slow start this campaign, but Giannis Antetokounmpo is producing another MVP-caliber year. He has led Milwaukee to an 18-10 record, averaging 27.6 points, 11.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists so far.

Here's what Jennings tweeted after the Greek Freak notched up a triple double to lead the Bucks to a 112-97 win over the Knicks on Sunday at MSG:

"BUCKS WILL END THE SEASON #1 in the EAST! 34 is just different man."

The Milwaukee Bucks have been one of the best regular-season teams since 2018. They finished first in their next two seasons, and were third last campaign. Giannis Antetokounmpo was crowned the league MVP when the Bucks finished first both times, so Jennings' prediction doesn't seem too far-fetched.

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Can Giannis Antetokounmpo lead the Milwaukee Bucks to championship success again?

Giannis Antetokounmpo has been in MVP-caliber form this season.

The Milwaukee Bucks have had to deal with plenty of adversities at the start of this campaign. They were initially without starters Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez and Donte DiVincenzo for large swathes. While Holiday and Middleton returned, Lopez and DiVincenzo have remained sidelined due to long-term injuries.

Nevertheless, Antetokounmpo has successfully carried over his stellar form from the 2021 NBA Playoffs to the current season. He is a top-five MVP candidate once again, and has single-handedly led the Bucks to many wins thus far.

The Milwaukee Bucks are projected to have a tough title defense, especially with the short offseason and this campaign returning to an 82-game schedule like before.

Moreover, the rest of their Eastern Conference rivals have bolstered their rosters this offseason. Unlike previous years, the East looks much more competitive now. That makes the Bucks's quest to reach the NBA Finals more difficult.

Nevertheless, with their star player Giannis Antetokounmpo firing on all cylinders, the Milwaukee Bucks will fancy winning the Conference title and possibly the NBA Finals as well. Antetokounmpo is only 27, which makes him one of the youngest leaders of a title-contending team in the league this campaign.

His talent and production at such a young age is widely considered as top-tier across the league. With his physical conditioning being much better than that of leading players of their rivals, the Bucks will fancy their chances of another deep run.