The Milwaukee Bucks have gone up and down the power rankings all NBA season long. At points, they have felt like a Top 10 team in the NBA and there have been other moments where they have not been a Top 10 team. The Bucks are the third seed in the postseason in the Eastern Conference with a 49-33 record.
Once again, they will face the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs this season. Indiana beat Milwaukee 4-out-of-5 during the regular season. The Athletic released its latest ranking on the Bucks before the 2024 NBA postseason began.
Zach Harper of The Athletic wrote about the Bucks being ranked 12th in the latest poll entering the NBA Playoffs by saying:
“It’s kind of odd to be this down on a team that nearly won 50 games, but the expectations were sky high as the Bucks have massively underperformed. They ousted a coach who was winning but wasn’t someone they believed in.
Now, they have Doc Rivers, whom they seem to believe in but has not done the job at the level he’s expected to do it. On top of that, Giannis Antetokounmpo is hurt, and Damian Lillard has been really bad/inefficient by his standards. Everybody seems to be writing off the Bucks, which maybe eliminates the pressure to perform in the playoffs? The Pacers will find out soon enough.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to be out for the start of the series because of his calf injury. Damian Lillard is going to have to be the man leading the way for them as he did when he was with the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Milwaukee Bucks Will Need Others To Step Up and Will Already Be Written Off
A lot of people think that the Bucks are going to lose this series against the Indiana Pacers. Milwaukee is being doubted heading into these playoffs. Others think that it will either be the New York Knicks or the Boston Celtics representing the Eastern Conference in the 2024 NBA Finals.
The Milwaukee Bucks were considered as NBA title contenders before the start of the season and a lot has changed since then. If Milwaukee wants to write off the doubters, they will beat the Indiana Pacers and find a way to upset the New York Knicks in the second round, and give the Boston Celtics a series in the Eastern Conference Finals.
If the Bucks don’t get past the first round, there will be a lot of paparazzi surrounding the franchise this offseason, especially around Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future. Milwaukee is ranked below the top 10 to start the NBA playoffs and that doesn’t come as a surprise with the way they ended the regular season.
