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NBA Playoff Power Rankings: The final countdown of the season

By Corey Rausch

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 12: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets in Game Five of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on September 12, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. 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 Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 12: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets in Game Five of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NBA Playoffs at AdventHealth Arena at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on September 12, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. 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 Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Previous: 8th. Milwaukee Bucks. 7. team. 89. .

Last Week: Beat/OT Miami 118-115, Lost to Miami 103-94

What a bummer end of the season for the Milwaukee Bucks. After a historic regular season, the team just never quite looked right in the seeding games or playoffs. The Giannis Antetokounmpo injury was the final nail in the coffin, but it is not the only reason this Bucks team failed to meet the expectations of their potential.

The fault does not fall on Khris Middleton. After a somewhat lackluster first-round series, Middleton went off as the de facto number one option when Antetokounmpo left the lineup. He averaged 25.6 points, 6.8 assists, 6.0 rebounds and 1.4 steals in 39.2 minutes per game. Brook Lopez also stepped up, averaging 18.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting a scorching 42.9 percent from 3-point range.

The two common scapegoats are Eric Bledsoe and Mike Budenholzer and this is not without merit. After missing Game 1, Bledsoe averaged just 11.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game on shooting splits of .333/.214/.750. That drop in efficiency is staggering and it cost them games. He needed to be worth the contract they gave him (and did not give to Malcolm Brogdon last summer) and he simply was not.

The issues with Bud’s playoff coaching are well-documented but his job is reportedly safe. The Bucks are entering an offseason where they will offer their MVP the supermax extension. If he turns it down, rumors will run rampant and they will be on the clock to reaffirm why Milwaukee is the place to further his career. A second-round exit for a team on pace to win over 60 games muddies the water.