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Five Potential Rivals Other Than the Bulls

Is there a better NBA rivalry than Bucks/Bulls right now?

The last time these teams played, a booming sold-out playoff crowd packed with thousands of fans from each team (far more Bucks fans, but thousands of each) watched a rising young star from the Bucks get ejected after decking a former Bucks player (who had punched one or two Bucks earlier in the game) into the front row, sending the former Bucks player and current Bulls player sprawling to the nearby feet of the co-owner of the Bucks.

Perhaps a touch more turbulent than whatever happened when the Lakers last played the Celtics, and so on.

For now, the Bulls are the only genuine rival of the Bucks. Sometimes these things spring to life though, like with the Celtics when Kevin Garnett got acquainted with Andrew Bogut and Brandon Jennings five years ago. So instead of ranking the top five rivals, what we have here are five teams that could turn into rivals.

5. New Orleans Pelicans

Rivalries tend to materialize when teams play each other in the Finals two or three times within a short timeframe. If that is reading too much into one memorable game in Milwaukee last season when Anthony Davis scored 43 points and Giannis Antetokounmpo put in 29, well, that is what we are doing here.

4. Orlando Magic

If you did not know (or also if you did know): Scott Skiles is back. He coaches the Magic now. He used to coach the Bucks. (And play for the Bucks. Though not at the same time.)

Tobias Harris presumably has a favorite basketball team which is not the Bucks. He used to play for the Bucks under Skiles, and he was the second-leading scorer on the Magic last season. Like the Bucks, the best players on the Magic are in their early 20s (Harris, Victor Oladipo, Nikola Vucevic, Elfrid Payton, Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier, Mario Hezonja etc.). Things could align.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves

Hard to develop something when you play once in January and then once in March and then that is that.

Nevertheless (think of that in capital letters), there exists geography. Also, from what I hear, there are professional sports in the United States other than basketball, and in some of them, teams from Wisconsin and Minnesota do not get along.

About the games: Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker went first and second respectively in the 2014 draft, and both players looked about that good in their rookie seasons. It is more difficult to imagine these two not turning into All-Stars than it is to imagine them turning into All-Stars. Around them are two of the youngest and most intriguing casts in the NBA. In a few years, these teams may just be premier.

2. Detroit Pistons

They are across the lake and in the same division and all of their good players end up playing for the Bucks.

1. Philadelphia 76ers

The Bucks are positioning to be real contenders within the next three years. The 76ers are positioning to be real contenders within the next 30 years.

If their best years happen to overlap, they could fight for things in the East like they did in the 1980s, when they matched up over and over in the playoffs (seriously, they played six playoff series against each other in the decade).

Plus, the Bucks have some business to make right from back in, what year was it, yes, I am joking by pretending to need to look it up or something.

 

Tell Us Who's On YOUR List of Rivals and YOU Could Win!

With the 2015-16 schedule now in hand, the fun begins. As the coaching staff and players prepare for the road ahead, so too do Bucks fans all over the world. We know you'll cheer hard every game from start to finish all the way through, but we also know there are a handful of opponents you love to hate. When it comes to Bucks rivals, who's at the top of your list?

One lucky fan will win two (2) lower level tickets to see all five games.