2010 NBA Playoffs Prediction: Atlanta Hawks vs. Milwaukee Bucks

Although the Atlanta Hawks have to worry about their future with the impending free-agency of star Joe Johnson, they still have the 2010 NBA Playoffs ahead of them. The Milwaukee Bucks, meanwhile, must overcome the loss of star forward Andrew Bogut to a very nasty arm injury that will likely keep Bogut out for the rest of the season.

Atlanta Hawks 2010 NBA Playoffs Preview

The Atlanta Hawks are coming off their fifth straight season of improving their win total. They also finished with their highest win total since the '96-'97 season. The key to the Hawks' success in the 2010 NBA Playoffs is not Johnson or Josh Smith, who led the Hawks the past few years, but rather newcomer Jamal Crawford.

Coming off the bench for the entire season, Jamal Crawford is the second-leading scorer for the Hawks. His addition, along with the continued improvement of Al Horford, have turned the Eastern Conference's "Big Two" (Cleveland and Orlando) into a "Big Three." It seems unlikely that the Hawks would find themselves in a situation like the 2009 NBA Playoffs, where the Cleveland Cavaliers swept the Hawks in the second round. The Hawks probably won't defeat the Cavs should the two teams meet in the Eastern Conference Finals, but the Hawks won't roll over without a fight.

Milwaukee Bucks 2010 NBA Playoffs Preview

When the Milwaukee Bucks acquired John Salmons, they were 24-28. Since the Salmons trade, the Bucks have gone 20-8, overcoming Michael Redd's early-season injury to storm their way into the 2010 NBA Playoffs.

Unfortunately, Salmons' emergence and Brandon Jennings' amazing rookie year will likely end in a first-round defeat. The Bucks will not be able to overcome the loss of Bogut to his horrific injury. They don't have the depth to win a seven-game series without Bogut, especially against a team as strong as the Hawks.

In only one week, the Bucks have gone from the trendy pick to orchestrate a first-round upset in the Eastern Conference to a team that might be lucky to win more than one game in the 2010 NBA Playoffs. It's unfortunate, but very few teams can overcome an injury to a key player like Bogut and continue to play at a consistently high level.

Hawks vs. Bucks Conclusion

Before the Bogut injury, the Bucks looked like a team that could take on a team like the Atlanta Hawks and at least force a long, hard-fought series if they didn't steal the win. Now, the Hawks should be able to easily dismantle the shorthanded Bucks and advance to a second round match up against the winner of the Orlando Magic/Charlotte Bobcats series.

2010 NBA Playoffs Prediction: Hawks defeat Bucks, 4-1

Source(s):

All statistics retrieved from ESPN.com

http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2010/matchup/_/teams/bucks-hawks