5 reasons the Milwaukee Bucks are legitimate title contenders

The Milwaukee Bucks are noticeably better than they were a season ago. But do they check all the boxes in terms of being a legitimate title contender in 2018-19?

The Milwaukee Bucks finished the 2017-18 campaign with a 44-38 record, which marked the third time in four years in which they topped the 40-win plateau. The 44 victories were also the second-most wins they’ve compiled since 2009-10.

Although the Bucks finished with the seventh-best record in the Eastern Conference, they pushed the second-seeded Boston Celtics — who were without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward — to the brink before bowing out in seven games. Milwaukee’s season didn’t end the way it had hoped, but the team has been noticeably better this season.

Thanks to a pair of recent wins over the Miami Heat and the Memphis Grizzlies over the past two nights, the Bucks have now won 14 of their last 17 games. Even more important, they now have the best record in the NBA at 32-12.

While Milwaukee has enjoyed a lot of success during the first half of the season, do they have enough firepower to legitimately contend for a championship?

The answer to that question is yes, and here’s a look at a few reasons to support this sentiment.