The Milwaukee Bucks are the third seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 42-24, but they have more to prove in the looming NBA playoffs than the average three-seed. A season ago they were a historically dominant team but were defeated fairly easily in the second round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat, who eventually represented the East in the NBA Finals.
This season, they’ve gone back to the basics in some ways. Even though they have better defenders on their roster now than in seasons past with players like Jrue Holiday and P.J. Tucker, their defense has taken a step back as they’ve tried to both maximize and optimize the way they defend.
The Milwaukee Bucks have more to prove than your typical three-seed in the coming NBA playoffs. Let’s look at the three individuals leading the pack.
Their best player, Giannis Antetokounmpo, has had yet another phenomenal season although thanks in large part to voter fatigue, he won’t be winning a third-straight MVP award this season.
The Bucks also have two mighty opponents to get through in the East in the better-than-ever Philadelphia 76ers and the Brooklyn Nets of Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. A year ago they were the cream of the crop in the conference, but the task is taller than ever now. And that’s to say nothing of the eventual Finals against the Western Conference champions.
Things are never easy, but they may be more challenging than ever for this team. Let’s take a look at three individuals who have the most to prove in the NBA playoffs this season.
Milwaukee Bucks with something to prove in the NBA playoffs: Giannis Antetokounmpo
It’s not every day that the defending two-time NBA MVP has something to prove, but that’s the case for Giannis Antetokounmpo. His numbers have dipped a bit from last season’s averages of 29.5 points, 13.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists to this season’s averages of 28.4 points and 11.1 rebounds, although his assists have ticked up to 5.9 per game.
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Giannis had his tremendous season last year only to get clamped by Bam Adebayo of the Heat in the playoffs last season. Across the board, the Bucks weren’t themselves once they arrived in the NBA bubble, but at least in the second round, part of that was a result of the Heat simply being tuned in and outstanding.
And for that matter, the Heat may have been a particularly bad matchup even if the Bucks were at the peak of their powers.
A player like Giannis Antetokounmpo should transcend matchups, however. If he’s to be considered one of the best couple of players in the league, he can’t get swallowed up the way he did against the Heat in last season’s NBA playoffs.
He’s going to be a Buck for a very long time thanks to signing a max extension earlier this season, but the chatter about whether he should be better won’t stop until he at least makes it to the Eastern Conference Finals. For reasons of legacy and more, there’s no time like the present for Giannis.
Milwaukee Bucks with something to prove in the NBA playoffs: Khris Middleton
Khris Middleton is one of the best wingmen in the NBA. A second-fiddle to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Middleton would likely be the best player on the majority of NBA teams if he was dropped directly onto their rosters.
As it stands, Middleton tends to have a reputation of fading in the playoffs, although last season is really the worst example of it. In the second round against the Heat, he did score 25.6 points per game but he shot poorly, making just 41.7 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from 3-point range.
The Heat were really just the perfect opponent to catch the Bucks at that point in time, considering their rugged defenders like Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Andre Iguodala and even Jae Crowder. They made life miserable on the Bucks, and Middleton was no different than Giannis Antetokounmpo in that regard.
Much like Giannis is the best player on this team and has the most to prove when the NBA playoffs begin later this month, Middleton is hot on his tail as the next man in line.
Milwaukee Bucks with something to prove in the NBA playoffs: Mike Budenholzer
While the best two Milwaukee Bucks players have plenty to prove, head coach Mike Budenholzer is reportedly coaching for his job. Regular season success doesn’t mean much when you flame out in the playoffs, especially when that postseason failure can largely be pinned on your own rigidity as a coach.
Some coaches would rather lose “their way” than win by being adaptable, but it seems like Budenholzer is taking steps to shed that image himself. After dogmatically holding firm to his drop-coverage defensive strategy in years past, he’s used this regular season as a time for experimentation and implementation, working a more traditional switching scheme into the playbook.
Drop works fine against plenty of teams, but once you get into the playoffs, too many elite teams have players that can take advantage of the defensive seams and pull up for mid-range jumpers. Good luck defending Kyrie Irving or Kevin Durant in the NBA playoffs with drop coverage.
Whether he sticks to it in the playoffs remains to be seen. It’s promising that Budenholzer is thinking outside of his own rigid box, but the results are going to have to come if he wants to remain the coach of this team next season.