2018-2019 Recap: Bucks Defy Expectations Despite ECF Loss

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Photo Credit: Keith Allison

Bucks at Wizards 1/15/18

It wasn’t the fairytale ending they imagined, but for the Milwaukee Bucks, this was a season that obliterated expectations and saw the start of something special for years to come. In the midst of the NBA Finals with Toronto grabbing a 2-1 lead over the injury-depleted Warriors, it’s hard not to imagine the ‘what if’ scenario involving the Bucks playing in what would have been their first finals since 1974. However, those dreams will have to be put on hold for at least one more year as it’s Kawhi Leonard that is trying to lift the Raptors to a championship in their first finals appearance in the franchise’s 24-year history.

While some may call it a major letdown losing four straight games to end their season, it should not overshadow the fact that this was one of the best seasons in almost two decades. Not only were they the only team in the NBA to eclipse the 60-win mark this season, but they also accomplished their goal of winning not just one but two playoff series including an impressive 4-1 gentleman’s sweep of the Boston Celtics in round two.

After taking a week to digest their heartbreaking loss to Toronto, there’s a lot to be proud of but also a lot to learn as this team heads into an important off-season. Without a doubt, Milwaukee showed they were the most dominating team throughout the course of the regular season. They finished number one in points per game along with a league leading +8.8 point differential. They were the only team to finish in the top four in both offensive and defensive efficiency in not just the regular season but also the post-season. The only team to defeat them twice during the regular was (ironically) the Phoenix Suns, who finished tied for the second worst record in the league at 19-63. Some of their most memorable moments include the blistering 7-0 start, a 23-point blowout at Golden State in November, scoring 140 points or more six times including a season-high 148 in a win over the Wizards in February, and finishing with the second-best home record in the NBA at 32-9 in their inaugural season at Fiserv Forum.

That being said, they don’t give out team awards for winning the regular season. However, some regular season individual awards could be coming to Milwaukee in the form of MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year. It was already announced that both Eric Bledsoe and Giannis Antetokounmpo have made first team All-Defense while Giannis earned first team All-NBA honors for the first time in his career. The significance of making first team All-NBA is huge, financially speaking, for the Greek Freak, as he is now eligible for the largest supermax contract in NBA history if he were to resign from the Bucks. If head coach Mike Budenholzer wins Coach of the Year, it would be the second time he has done so after taking a 60-win Atlanta Hawks team to the conference finals back in 2015.

It’s becoming quite the norm seeing Giannis earn more and more awards each season. His hunger and steady growth are truly what make him one of the most transcendent talents this game has ever seen. From averaging 6.8 points and 4.4 rebounds a game as a rookie to now becoming the favorite for the MVP award at 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game in his sixth season while leading the Bucks to 60 wins and a chance to play in the finals is nothing to shy away from. That’s why it’s hard to be upset at how the season ended. Everyone goes through growing pains. Having a top five superstar on your roster makes them contenders for years to come, as long as they keep most of the core together.

What’s Next?

The pressure of repeating a 60-win season is a lot to ask and it’s certainly no guarantee. Even with Giannis another year older and closer to entering his prime years, there’s still a lot of other moving parts that must happen to make sure that they can accomplish their goals. They already locked up Eric Bledsoe with a 4-year, $70 million-dollar extension back in March. But they are going to have plenty of other decisions to make with Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, Nikola Mirotić, George Hill and Pau Gasol all set to be unrestricted free agents while Malcolm Brogdon is restricted. It would be a pipe dream to retain all of them but that is highly unlikely. It all starts with Middleton and Brogdon, both of whom are set for huge paydays. Obviously, Brogdon would be easier to retain because Milwaukee can just match any offer, but Middleton is the big question mark. Surely, he had a remarkable season making his first All-Star game, but there’s a lot of knock on him for his consistency and whether or not he can be trusted as a true number two for a championship team.

I’ve always felt that Milwaukee has gotten a huge bargain with Middleton since he was essentially a throw-in piece in a Brandon Jennings/Brandon Knight swap back in 2013. After injuries riddled his time in Detroit, Middleton blossomed into an elite ‘Three and D’ wing player with the Bucks. With that All-Star appearance now on his resume, Middleton is set to make anywhere between $20-$30 million dollars a year in max money. He can make the most if he resigns with Milwaukee, but is he truly worth that much? His numbers and chemistry with Giannis may say so, but is that enough for Jon Horst and the rest of the front office to pull the trigger? There has to be something holding them back a bit if they were willing to get a deal done with Bledsoe first mid-season before making any decision on Middleton. It could also be Middleton who has some hesitation signing an extension. Who can blame the guy if he wants to test the market and see what kind of offers he gets elsewhere?

Once the Middleton domino falls, it will determine what happens with Malcolm Brogdon, Brook Lopez and so on. Brogdon, the 2017 rookie of the year, should be high priority based on his consistency and the fact that he became the eighth player in NBA history to finish the season with a 50/40/90 season despite being injured late in the season. There aren’t many higher character guys in the league, and it would be a big blow to lose a guy who is the ultimate professional on and off the court.

Retaining Lopez might be difficult if he demands a much higher salary than the $3.3 million he made this season. His fit within the offense alongside Giannis speaks for itself after knocking down nearly 37% of his threes this season. George Hill is a wildcard and someone that stabilized the Bucks’ backcourt after he was acquired last December. With Brogdon out for the latter part of the regular season and Bledsoe struggling in the playoffs, he was arguably the most reliable guard the Bucks had down the stretch. He likely to be waived before July 2 in order to save the organization from a massive cap hit of $18 million dollars for next season. No need to panic, however, as there is growing assumption that the 32-year-old player might be willing to resign on a team-friendly contract based on how well his time in Milwaukee went.

Bottom Line

The 2018-2019 season is one for the books and one that will always be remembered as hopefully a major stepping stone towards a future championship. Expectations were vastly surpassed, and many goals were accomplished. The disappointment of dropping four straight games in the conference finals shouldn’t distract you from how special this team was. There are a lot of question marks heading into this off-season, but if they are able to keep all or most of their core together, there is no doubt this team will be back as one of the favorites to win the Eastern Conference again next season.