Milwaukee Bucks: The NBA’s biggest enigma entering 2018-19

After yet another first-round playoff exit, the Milwaukee Bucks continue to be the NBA’s biggest enigma

The Milwaukee Bucks are one of the youngest and most talented teams in the NBA. But they’ve been unable to get over the playoff hump since Giannis Antetokounmpo came on the scene in 2014. And in every passing year, the Bucks become more difficult to decipher.

Last season was another year of intrigue for the Bucks, but it ultimately ended in discouragement – in reference to a first-round exit. Losing in a 7-game series to the Boston Celtics, who were playing without star point guard Kyrie Irving, was disappointing for a Bucks team who’s gifted with young talent.

In Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have arguably a top-five player who has no flaws in his game, outside of being an inconsistent shooter. Khris Middleton came into his own last season as a reliable go-to scorer, averaging a career-high 20.1 points per game, and he is also one of the best frontline defenders in the association. Malcolm Brogdon hasn’t yet had that breakout season, but he’s a reliable two-way player with upside.

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The Bucks acquired point guard Eric Bledsoe from the Phoenix Suns last season, and his presence adds an athletic scoring threat who can hold his own defensively. They also have athletic center Thon Maker, big man John Henson, gritty point guard Matthew Dellavedova, and a reliable wing in Tony Snell.

Every season the Bucks premier youngsters have blossomed, or, at the very least, improved their games to some degree. Antetokounmpo made himself more of a scorer, rather than just a fastbreak player last season; Middleton became a more productive scorer; Brogdon improved his scoring. So, given how their core continues to improve, why can’t the Bucks escape the first round, or even rise in the Eastern Conference standings?

Do they get T-Rex arms in the big moment? Do they not have the skill sets necessary to flourish together? Are they just not on the level of other powerhouse teams in the East?

In 2015, the Bucks were eliminated in the first round by the Chicago Bulls. The ensuing year, the Bucks missed the playoffs. In 2017, they were eliminated in the first round by the Toronto Raptors. Last season, it was the same distance, but getting knocked out by the Celtics.

Now, while the addition of veteran center Brook Lopez does even out their rotation a bit given his ability to operate in the paint, it’s not a transaction that’ll change the Bucks’ style of play. What may do so though is the hiring of new head coach Mike Budenholzer.

After firing head coach Jason Kidd midseason and letting go of interim head coach Joe Prunty, the Bucks opted to hire Budenholzer. Budenholzer, who was fired by the Atlanta Hawks, was coming off a year in which he coached a team that finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 24-58.

But when you look at how management gradually let his premier players go via free agency, or trade such as Al Horford, Dwight Howard, Paul Millsap, and Jeff Teague, as well as how his unselfish offensive system led the Hawks deep into the playoffs for multiple seasons, it’s hard to backup a notion of Budenholzer being the problem with Atlanta.

Can that selfless play be contagious with the Bucks? There aren’t any ball hogs, so to speak, on their roster. There are go-to scorers who play in isolation, but no one is classified as a black hole on offense.

At the same time, the Bucks were just 15th in points per game last season (106.5). On an even more confusing note, they were third in field goal percentage (47.8 percent). The year before, they were fourth in the NBA in that same statistic (47.4 percent). In the 2015-16 season, they were fifth (46.7 percent). In summation, the Bucks have struggled to consistently get good, open looks, but when they’re able to do so, they excel.

Given their long wingspans and ability to run up and down the floor, it would make sense for the Bucks to be a team that plays swarming defense. Instead, they were 16th in opponents points per game (106.8) last season. But even if they were able to become a more consistent defensive unit, can you say with full conviction that the Bucks could rise to the top of the Conference, or go on a deep run in the Spring?

The Boston Celtics are likely the favorites to win the East based on them making it to the Conference Finals last season without Irving and Gordon Hayward. The Toronto Raptors finished with the most wins in the East last season and flipped DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard. The Philadelphia 76ers finally emerged as a powerhouse with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons at the helm. The Indiana Pacers surprised many with their tenacious defense last season, and their core can only improve.

Granted there was talk of them being better without the former No. 2 overall pick, the loss of forward Jabari Parker strips the Bucks of a talented offensive player. They will now need others to step up and improve their games offensively. Brogdon is likely the man for the job, but the Bucks will also need someone to come off the bench and serve as an offensive spark plug.

As gifted young teams grow older, and their core sticks together, they inevitably become better. But the Bucks have been in the same boat for the last four years: sneaking into the playoffs and escaping quickly. They defy basketball logistics.

The Milwaukee Bucks have the talent to be a Conference powerhouse. The question is can they finally get over the hump both mentally and in standings? It’s an answer that’s hard to formulate, and the fact that this question is asked on a yearly basis further proves how the Bucks are the NBA’s biggest enigma.