The Bucks have the best record in the NBA. However, I’m still not convinced that they’re even making the Finals. Hell, I did a whole podcast episode about it. But, how can that be? They didn’t get the best record in the NBA from not being good. Karl Hieser brilliantly explains why the Bucks won’t win the finals: The Bucks rely too much on Giannis. Other Bucks players are going to have to step up if they want a championship. That’s why my pick for the Bucks X Factor is Donte DiVincenzo.
Donte DiVincenzo Stats
Even though Donte DiVincenzo usually comes off the bench, he’s still a valuable part of their team. In fact, he does more than the player that starts in front of him, Wesley Matthews. DiVincenzo currently averages 9.4 PPG on 46.2% shooting, 2.3 APG, and 4.9 RPG. While this isn’t bad for a player off the bench, it’s just simply not going to be enough for the Bucks to win a title. Outside of Giannis and Khris Middleton, there’s a lot of room for players that can step up. Sure, Eric Bledsoe averages 15.4 PPG, but after that, it’s Brook Lopez with 11 PPG, and then the rest of the team scoring less than 10 points. There’s a lot of even scoring amongst the rest of the team. While some might think that is a good thing, that any player can have their night with the Bucks, that strategy only works in the regular season, or else why didn’t the Bucks make the Finals last year?
No, the Bucks need someone to step up. Sure, I could say Wes Matthews needs to step up, but at 33, that would be a helluva time to step up. The more likely candidate here is Donte DiVincenzo. He’s 23 and primed to make a name for himself in the playoffs. He needs to be the one that steps up for the Bucks to give them an edge. We know what Giannis and Middleton can do. We know what consistency Eric Bledsoe and Brook Lopez bring. Now, Donte needs to be the X-Factor that puts the Bucks in the Finals. If he fails to do that, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bucks have a 2nd round exit or lose in the Conference finals. You heard it here first. If Donte DiVincenzo doesn’t do enough, the Bucks will lose.
