And yet we seem to not be thinking about the Bucks in those terms.

No, it's very strange, to be honest with you.

I think, look, it's all this small market stuff, right?

I think it's part of what we saw last year.

I don't think people feel like that.

They're the dominant team, even though they have absolutely had that kind of production.

Guys defensively, we're talking about a team right now.

That's the best defensive team we've seen since the 2008 Celtics.

Like statistically, that's where they're at.

They're the number one defense there, arguably a top 10 defense of all time.

And that's the thing.

That's the biggest difference between them last year and this year.

For all the talk about how they could be vulnerable because Yanis still has maybe some holes in his game offensively, their defense right now is just incredible.

So along those lines would go walk, were massing this to everybody, which team in the east with the way they're constructed, who have the best shot to knock them off in a Siri's man.

That's a tough question, Golic here.

Here's the one thing about Milwaukee, and they do this on purpose.

It's by design.

They're the best team defensively in the interior.

They invite you to come in there and try to test them, whether it's Johannes or Brook Lopez or even Robin Lopez.

And when you go in there, it doesn't work out very well.

But the one thing they do give up is the above the break three, which is basically the three from the wings of the top of the key.

Like they invite you to take that shot and the they give him up at a high percentage.

So what happens is, in a short Siri's, you could see a team who shoots the ball very well.

Could be a team that could knock them out because there's just so much, so many variables in a short Siri's.

So honestly, a lot of the teams, whether it's Toronto, whether it's Boston, heck, even Miami.

As much as they're reeling right now, those are teams that shoot the three ball really well.

So if those teams can get hot from three.

They've got a real shot to beat them, and that's kind of the one vulnerability in their defense is that they allow you to take that shot.

And we've got a coach in Mike Budenholzer who's excellent.

OK, he's one of the best coaches in the game.

Um, he's the reigning coach of the year.

But he believes that his way will work that over a seven game series, that his defense will allow you to take those shots that are lower percentage but that you won't hit them.

But look, man again in a short series, anything can happen.

That's that's a risk that they take.

You certainly saw that in the Eastern Conference finals last year, where they had the two games to none lead.

And then it quickly, all fell apart.

Is Toronto went on to win the whole damn thing.

George Sedona with us this morning, you mentioned reeling.

Ah, you mentioned Miami.

We could also just insert Philadelphia.

They're with what they're going through.

They managed to find a way thanks to Tobias Harris and win a game at home against the Knicks without Simmons without Embiid.

But the six years do win at home.

It's the problem was when they leave the building and now they're going to be leaving the building on a road trip without Embiid for a while and without Simmons for a long while.

Where are you on the long term picture of what this means for the Sixers heading into the postseason?

Man, I'm now starting.

Get bearish on them.

I was bullish on them for a long time, feeling like you know what?

They'll figure it out, that there is the makeup of a team there that can be extraordinary on defense.

And as I mentioned just with Milwaukee a few minutes ago, defense can travel even in the playoffs and even for a team that had struggled on in the regular season on the road.

But the fact that these injuries keep mounting up the fact that they still don't have enough shooting, In my opinion, I know they've added Alec Berks and Glenn Robinson, the third to kind of soften things up a little bit.

But those guys aren't JJ Reddick.

Those guys aren't even Marco Belinelli, Anderson Ilyasova, who they had a couple of years ago, and I think that when you have those two guys on the floor.

Even when they are healthy, you need that kind of shooting, so they have enough space to be able to do the damage that they need to do.

So I just don't think that the roster construction is great.

I think the Al Horford signing, clearly in retrospect now, was not a good idea.

Josh Richardson is a nice player for them guys, but he's not one of those deadeye shooters, either.

He's a good player who can defend who can, you know, dribble a little bit, you know, and distribute the ball some and and he's a decent guy handling the ball.

But he's not anywhere near the type of shooter that they need on this team.

So I just think that the way the roster construction Slaught and now the injuries are mounting up that they're just in trouble.

They're they're in deep trouble at this point.

Jorge Serrano joining us, ESPN L A.

7 10 The Sedano show.

He's in Milwaukee for Milwaukee in the thunder thunder of 19 straight on the ward.

More on the road, Milwaukee 26 3 at home.

So great match up there.

One more on Philadelphia, Whether by injury or by just play, this team gets dumped early in the postseason.

Are we seeing a split of the two stars on that team?

Will one be gone?

Going?

I don't think we're there yet.

Um, I mean, look, I don't rule anything out at this point, but I think you try a coaching change first, and that's thinks for Brett Brown, who again we all know had to deal with all those lean years that they had as they were going through the quote unquote process.

But I think that that's the route they go.

I mean, look, it's no different than you haven't underachieving team in the NFL with the quarterback that you feel like can do better, right?

Like you make the switch Eventually A to coaching positions.

It's easier to fire the coach, unfortunately, than it is to try to replace really good talent.

George Tadano With this Georgia, we've said all along.

As the season began from the Western Conference, it certainly looked like the Finals will be played at the Staples Center one way or another, with the Lakers and the Clippers squaring off.

But then you have the Houston Rockets have completely embraced this small ball situation and somehow some way, remarkably, two very ball heavy players and James Harden and Russell Westbrook are making it work.

Do you believe they really can be something that can shake up the idea of in all l A finals in the Western Conference?

Trey, I think that I give them a puncher's chance, Okay, just because of the stuff we talked about earlier, like against Milwaukee, right?

Like you give up in threes eventually that you can tip a Siri's.

I just don't know if they can do that three times to get to the finals, however, they have unlocked Russell Westbrook, and this actually dates back to before the deal.

When they moved Clint Capela, Capello was hurt, and all of a sudden in the was about 8 to 10 games.

That Capella Capello was hurt and Russ, all of a sudden, look like the old rust.

He was scoring about 14 points in the paint per game, and all of a sudden the three ball was more effective because Russ was creating havoc inside the paint.

So I think they saw that and they said, you know what we've already kind of doubled and tripled down on shooting threes.

Let's just quadruple down.

Let's go all in, push off chips into the table into the center of the table.

And this is where the rat.

And they feel that because of the way Russ has played, particularly thanks so much for watching ESPN on YouTube firm or sports analysis and highlights download the ESPN APP and for live streaming and premium content, subscribed to ESPN plus.