Greatest non-Finals teams to never win the NBA title this century
10. 2018-19 Milwaukee Bucks
Mike Budenholzer’s arrival was expected to bring out the best of a budding Milwaukee Bucks team that clearly possessed another level of growth. The extent of which was hard to determine but evident as the 2018-19 season progressed.
The premise of Milwaukee’s offense was simple. Spread as many shooters along the perimeter as possible, stretching out defenses who couldn’t halt Giannis Antetokounmpo’s assault on the bucket without paying a price.
Giannis posted historical career-highs across the board — nobody has ever matched his averages of 27.7 points on 57.1 percent shooting with 12.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game — spearheading a top-five offense ranked first in points and second in threes made and attempted per game as well.
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Having lanky defenders at each position, the Bucks were also one of two teams to rank inside the top-five in both offensive and defensive efficiency with the league’s best defense.
Budenholzer’s adjustments bred a 16-game improvement to a league-best 60 wins. He took home Coach of the Year while the Greek Freak was the Most Valuable Player
The Bucks looked the part of Finals participants, especially after taking a 2-0 lead in the conference finals. But their lack of experience caught up to them soon after, resulting in four straight losses to put a sour end on a season that still surpassed all expectations.