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By Ryan Julson

For those who are quick to say that this year's Milwaukee Bucks are the "Least in the East," you may be surprised.

The season is early but the Bucks have already shown they can play with the big boys out west and handle the little tykes in the east.

A 4-3 start is short of impressive, but the losses have been very close games and all three have come at the hands of top teams: the revamped Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and the star-studded Lakers. Meanwhile, the Bucks handled the Pacers at Indiana with ease, and overpowered the big bodied Bulls by 30.

New head coach Terry Porter has installed a new mindset in Milwaukee. No longer is "me" the team motto, rather "we" has been the tone set early on.

In two of the game guards have led the team in rebounding showing that the big men are not the only ones pounding the glass, and the Bucks are out-rebounding their opponents almost every game, grabbing over 47 per session, more than all but three teams in the league.

Balanced scoring is also a new trend this year. Without stars like Ray Allen, Sam Cassell or Gary Payton who can put up 25-30 points with consistency, the Bucks rely on Michael Redd (22.3) and five other players averaging double figures in scoring.

A big factor of the balanced scoring for the Bucks is their newly acquired tool called "passing." This basic fundamental has been absent the last five years or so, but with the addition of rookie point guard T.J. Ford and savvy veteran guards Erick Strickland and Damon Jones, Milwaukee is averaging nearly 23 assists per game. That's sixth best in the league.

If teams in the East lack respect for the Bucks, they're in for a rude awakening. No longer can teams just bully them around and expect a soft defense. This Milwaukee team will punch back harder and clamp down on defense for the entire game.

The Bucks won't win the East, but they certainly aren't the "Least in the East."