Milwaukee Bucks: 2018-19 NBA season preview

Storyline 3: Can this team finally break through and win a playoff series?

Most teams around the league would kill for a player as good as Giannis Antetokounmpo, and many for a wingman as good as Khris Middleton. From Eric Bledsoe to Brook Lopez to Malcolm Brogdon this team has quality pieces around Antetokounmpo.

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Now with an accomplished head coach in place, the time is now for this team to take the next step forward in the postseason. Antetokounmpo may not be around forever, and in three of the past four postseasons the Bucks have lost in the first round; the fourth year they missed the playoffs entirely.

Last season was a golden opportunity, playing a Boston Celtics team with two of its three best players. Instead the Bucks disintegrated in Game 7 and the Celtics advanced. This comes a year after the Bucks saw a 2-1 series lead against the Toronto Raptors become a 4-2 loss.

Antetokounmpo will almost certainly be better than anyone they face in the first round next season, and the collection of talent around him is enough to make the second round.

As mentioned before Antetokounmpo has received the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his success thus far. Soon the burden of proof will be on his shoulders to prove he can be a postseason superstar too.