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Milwaukee Bucks: 5 New Year’s resolutions for 2018

By Josh Cornelissen

MILWAUKEE, WI - DECEMBER 22: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks handles the ball during a game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Bradley Center on December 22, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - DECEMBER 22: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks handles the ball during a game against the Charlotte Hornets at the Bradley Center on December 22, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images /

1. Play on Christmas Day, 2018

Over the past decade, 10 teams per season have suited up every Christmas Day, a unique honor and part of the NBA’s growth as an American sport. There are three ways to gain such a golden ticket: be a perennial contender, a big-market team with championship history, or hold the excitement of a bright future.

Milwaukee last appeared on Christmas Day in 1977, a victory over the Kansas City Kings. In total, they appeared on Dec. 25 just four times. That is by far the longest drought in the league, 12 years longer than the Atlanta Hawks’ second-longest drought. How do the Bucks make it onto the league’s marquee day?

Despite a long history of playoff appearances and the hard-working people of Wisconsin, the Milwaukee Bucks cannot check off the box of “championship big-market team” that sees the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls show up on Christmas Day regardless of their success.

They are also probably past the young-team-bright-future point in this core’s development, no matter the narrative Jason Kidd tries to spin. The Minnesota Timberwolves or Philadelphia 76ers played this past Christmas with key stars on rookie contracts, while the Bucks’ three stars are all on their second deals.

That leaves contender status, something the Bucks will have to work hard for. It probably means winning one series and probably two in the playoffs — a tall task, but not impossible. But as the Toronto Raptors have shown, postseason success doesn’t get a team onto the Christmas Day slate. The Bucks will also need to gain popularity as they gather wins, and Giannis Antetokounmpo will need to continue to push for the MVP all season long.

Next: 2018 NBA Mock Draft: End of 2017 edition

In the end, playing on Christmas Day is more a validation of what the Bucks hope to accomplish than the goal itself. But by next Christmas, the Bucks will hopefully be checking off the fifth box on their “New Year’s Resolutions” card, ready to set new goals for a franchise continuing to rise.

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