Report predicts the Milwaukee Bucks will get ousted in the quarterfinals of the In-Season Tournament

A report doesn’t believe the Milwaukee Bucks will take the In-Season Tournament seriously.

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The NBA will welcome the very first staging of the In-Season Tournament this season, which they hope would drum up attention for the league during the typically humdrum months of November and December. The Milwaukee Bucks are in Group B along with rivals Miami Heat, the New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, and the Washington Wizards.

Although the Bucks boast of being one of the strongest teams in the league, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report doesn’t believe the team’s firepower will be enough to see them through to the title.

Win the Group Stage

Swartz predicts that Group B will be a battle between the Bucks, the Heat, and the Knicks, which all made the playoffs last season. The three have history, as well, as the Heat ousted the Bucks from the first round of the NBA Playoffs in a monumental upset. The Heat also took down the Knicks in the East semifinals.

Swartz added that the Hornets may be a tough out with the team welcoming back high-scoring forward Miles Bridges. The team also has do-it-all point guard Lamelo Ball and veteran swingman Gordon Hayward. However, Swartz pegged the Bucks to still come away as the winner of Group B.

“Milwaukee may not be motivated to win the NBA Cup, but this group did take the regular season seriously last year en route to 58 wins. If Miami still hasn't traded for Damian Lillard (or is still working out the chemistry between him and the rest of the roster) by November, the Heat won't be at full strength yet. New York will be a tough out,” Swartz wrote.

The inaugural @NBA In-Season Tournament tips off in November! 🏆🦌

📅» https://t.co/F56aIYuxN5 pic.twitter.com/SwOHwsdxWT

— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) August 16, 2023

Different story in the knockout round

The quarterfinals, though, may be a different story. Milwaukee has a veteran core, with three of its four All-Stars already approaching the wrong side of 30. For this reason, the Bucks may not get up to the level of their competition.

“Milwaukee has the better team on paper, but with a title already under its belt in 2021, an older supporting cast around Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez signing another $150 million worth of contracts this offseason, motivation may be lacking,” Swartz wrote.