Milwaukee Bucks: 2017-18 NBA season preview
Best-case scenario
Milwaukee has a surprisingly high ceiling, as any team with a superstar does. Given his age and track record, it’s a strong possibility that he takes another leap forward. If that leap is significant enough, then he will be in the mix for the MVP award.
A best-case scenario, then, sees Antetokounmpo winning the award, with Khris Middleton joining him on the All-Star team. Jabari Parker returns healthy and goes on a tear as a sixth man, forming a deadly two-man game with Greg Monroe. Thon Maker becomes a defensive menace, and Tony Snell and Malcolm Brogdon stay hot from beyond the arc.
That Milwaukee team could win more than 50 games, and with question marks facing all of the Eastern Conference contenders, 52 games or so could secure home-court advantage for the Bucks. A 2-3 matchup of the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers could then produce a worn down victor for the Bucks to drop on their way to the NBA Finals. While a win over the Golden State Warriors is probably a bridge too far, the best version of this team would give them trouble as an athletic-switching defense.
Worst-case scenario
If Giannis Antetokounmpo simply maintains his level of production from last season, he will be one of the dozen or so best players in the league. There is nothing wrong with that, but it would hold this team back from reaching its full potential.
Jabari Parker’s injury is the other large question mark, and even with modern science and Parker’s drive to succeed, there is no guarantee he will return healthy and with the same athleticism. An ineffective Parker, regression from Tony Snell, and a failure of the young players to take steps forward could see this team float around the same level as last season.
A win total around .500 and a lower playoff seed would mark a lateral step for this Bucks team — a disappointment but not an impossible scenario. And what Milwaukee fans don’t want to be reminded of is that this team’s recent history suggests it follows up strong seasons (2013, 2015, 2017) with down years (2014, 2016).