JR Radcliffe

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

You've been waiting years for this moment, following the trials and tribulations of this franchise, and finally, the climactic moment is here. The Bucks are the best team in the NBA playoffs. Also, "Game of Thrones" is about to start its final season.

The season 8 premiere on HBO is scheduled for 8 p.m. Sunday, which is mostly after the Bucks complete their first 2019 playoff game against the Detroit Pistons at Fiserv Forum, tipping at 6 p.m. But there's going to be some carryover.

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So let's do the obvious thing and fuse our two worlds of heroes. If the Bucks were the cast of "Game of Thrones," who would they be?

Giannis Antetokounmpo - Jon Snow

This one isn't that complicated is it? Jon Snow, the closest thing to a full-on hero in the series, doesn't come from a traditional background, rose from humble beginnings to a noble warrior and doesn't even care if he's the ruler. He just wants to win. There's also that whole back-from-the-dead thing, too.

Khris Middleton - Bran Stark

Khris Middleton has been frustrating for Bucks fans at times and sometimes gets criticized for disappearing (like Bran in Season 5). But he's also fashioned himself slowly into a powerhouse over his time in Milwaukee, and after seeing how important he was at the end of last season, he might just be the key to the whole thing this time around. Not sure about the omniscience, really, but we don't rule out anything for Middleton.

Eric Bledsoe - Daenerys Targaryen

Free from the minimizing effect of a lesser situation (like the Dothraki camp or Phoenix), Bledsoe has shown when he's at his best, he is straight fire. He can absolutely be the best player on the floor and, should something happen to Jon Snow, he might just have enough to win the day. He's also got juuust enough crazy in his eyes to be unpredictable. Dragons, man.

Brook Lopez - Arya Stark

Forgive the size difference here. What Arya Stark lacks for 7-footness, she makes up for in her utter transformation from a scrappy role player to a cold-blooded assassin. Lopez, once a back-to-the-basket player, was plenty good at that talent, but he's added a dimension that makes him virtually unstoppable. Also, Lopez has a twin and could ostensibly pass for someone else. Not quite the degree to which Arya has the art of disguise mastered, but close enough.

Malcolm Brogdon - Tyrion Lannister

You'll have to REALLY forgive the height difference here. Tyrion comes from a prestigious lineage (like the Lannisters or the Atlantic Coast Conference) but has been brushed aside by those who don't immediately appreciate his physical gifts. And yet, Tyrion is the glue behind the entire operation, a master tactician whose cunning has made him a formidable challenge for opponents. Of course, that probably discounts how amazing Brogdon's physical talents are, too, but Tyrion does know how to use a crossbow, so there's that. Also, both were injured to a degree, though Tyrion's facial injury isn't as limiting as plantar fascia tear.

Mike Budenhozler - The Night King

The Night King may be the bad guy on Thrones, but he's an enigmatic and relentless force that changes the landscape wherever he goes. He has the power to raise creatures from the dead, including bears and dragons. And probably deer, if we really think about it.

Jon Horst - Varys

A character who knows WAY more than he lets on, pleasant on the surface while aggressively working behind the scenes to orchestrate all matters in the realm.

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Others

DJ Wilson - Jaime Lannister. Few characters have gone from disliked to universally beloved like these two.

Ersan Ilyasova - Davos Seaworth. The savvy veteran who does the dirty work and yet remains one of the most endearing characters in the story.

Nikola Mirotic - Tormund Giantsbane. An ally from an improbable enemy source, and hopefully someone we see more of in the final season.

Pau Gasol - Ned Stark. A supremely familiar face (just as Sean Bean was in Season 1) with noble intentions ... although he sadly didn't last long.

Sterling Brown - Sam Tarly. Role player with occasional flashes of absolute awesomeness like killing a White Walker with dragonglass or naming all 50 states off the top of his head in 30 seconds. It falls in line with Tarly's love of history and geography.

George Hill - Jorah Mormont. A veteran who has endured some tough beats in his career, and yet finds a way to be among the last men standing. Not the biggest warrior on the battlefield, but one of the best.

Tony Snell - The Hound. Not an exact match, but somebody who takes on the other team's best player should probably be called "the hound," no?

Tim Frazier - Harry Strickland. New for Season 8; not sure what to expect yet.

Pat Connaughton - Jon Connington. This is cheating, because Jon Connington isn't even in the show and is a character exclusively in the "Game of Thrones" books. But they're obviously related so ...

While it would be easy to connect the Bucks to Robert Baratheon (whose house is represented by a stag), Baratheon lost in the first round of "Game of Thrones," and we all know that's not going to happen to the Bucks (by the old gods and the new).

JR Radcliffe can be reached at (262) 361-9141 or jradcliffe@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JRRadcliffe.