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"FacebookPinterest\n\nSTRENGTHS: The Bucks have overcome a lot to get to where they are now. Consider the albatross that is the semi-permanently disabled Michael Redd, injuries to former #1 pick Andrew Bogut (now the league's premier Australian player), and the ridicule at the hands of certain NCAA-happy analysts for drafting Brandon Jennings\u2014who's now sitting near the top of an unusually good class of rookie guards. They might have snuck up on you, but these guys can play. Jennings has left all Knicks fans wondering what could have been, bringing a new dynamic element to the Bucks. He can score, as evidenced by his 55 point game early this season. More importantly, he can run an offense. Bogut is as skilled as they come and centers a very good defensive team. Brilliant midseason acquisition John Salmons added a much needed scoring punch from the wing and role players like Carlos Delfino, Ersan Ilyasova and yes, even Luke Ridnour, round out a solid roster that could take down one of the top teams in the East.\n\nWEAKNESSES: Here's that experience thing again, and it comes down to Brandon Jennings. Congratulations are in order for leading a team to the playoffs as a rookie point guard, but a multi-game series is an entirely different animal. If a good defensive team figures him out, he's going to have to adjust or the Bucks will suffer. He's shown the ability to score along with the ability to miss a lot of shots. Which Jennings will show up when it matters most? It's not uncommon for even the best young point guards to lose sight of their role as facilitator. Jennings needs to be a veteran now; playing like a rookie point guard won't get the job done.\n\nX-FACTOR: A second round afterthought in the 2008 draft, Luc Mbah a Moute might now be the key to a possible series win for the Bucks. He won't dominate the box score but he stepped right into big minutes as a defensive stopper during his rookie campaign and hasn't looked back. He has the size to defend perimeter 4's, the quickness to defend smaller wings, and the hunger that all great defensive players possess. For the Bucks to beat Atlanta, Boston or Orlando, they'll need Mbah a Moute to shut down one of the top scorers, be it Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Vince Carter or Rashard Lewis. Someone who brings consistent defensive energy is an invaluable commodity in the half-court style that dominates the NBA playoffs, and Mbah a Moute will have many chances to prove his worth.\n\nFEARLESS PREDICTION: Bogut will average 20 and 10 and the Bucks will win in six, despite 30% shooting from Jennings. Fans of the losing team will openly wonder, \"Where the hell did John Salmons come from?\"\n\n \u2014Nick Ingalls\n\nCheck out our playoff preview for the Oklahoma City Thunder."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.gq.com/story/the-nba-playoffs-the-eastern-conference-sleeper>