Milwaukee Bucks: 5 goals following 2019 NBA All-Star break
5. Hold onto the league’s best record
The over/under for the Milwaukee Bucks this season was 46.5 wins, a lofty goal for a team that hadn’t won more than 46 games since 2001. The team might pass that by the end of February, and this isn’t even a leap year. Already with 44 wins, the over is a virtual lock.
At this point, the goal needs to be more than 46 wins, and more than 56 as well. The Bucks have the league’s best record at the break, ahead of the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors.
Their point differential of +9.6 backs up their record; this is not a mediocre team riding lucky finishes. While the unexpected ascension has many basketball fans and writers feeling whiplash, statistically, this team is for real.
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That means the Bucks cannot squander their position and end with anything less than the best record in the league.
Many of their Eastern Conference foes are significantly worse on the road, and only Milwaukee has single-digit road losses. The Boston Celtics are a middling 14-14 on the road, as are the Philadelphia 76ers at 14-14. Having home court advantage will be a huge part of winning the East.
Then would come the NBA Finals, and a projected matchup with the Golden State Warriors.
While the Warriors are not scared of winning a Game 7 on the road, any advantage the Bucks can find they need to chase if they want to bring Milwaukee its first title since 1971. Yet, the Warriors are currently projected to finish with 61 wins, just one behind the Bucks.
It might be easy to coast through the rest of the season, especially considering this team is riding so high relative to expectations.
If the goal was still 47 wins, that would be understandable. But this team now needs 60 if they want to have home-court advantage in the playoffs. Every win will matter from here on out.