Season Expectations?

[mufan2003]

With the NBA tipping off tonight, for those interested, what are your expectations/predictions for the Bucks?

Last year, I thought the Bucks could get the 4th seed and home court in the first round of the playoffs. They ended up with the 7th seed and finished 44-38. I think the Bucks win 6 more games this season, finish 50-32, and get the 3rd seed in a diluted Eastern Conference. Boston, on paper and with coaching, appear to be the clear favorite in the East. Kawhi Leonard might be traded from Toronto by the deadline (knowing he could be headed to LA next summer). I think Milwaukee will be right there with Philly for the second best team in the East.

I really believe Budenholzer and staff will make this group better. Best coach since George Karl. The additions (Lopez, Ilyasova, Connaughton, DiVincenzo) are not flashy, but fit much better around Giannis and Middleton. Hopefully win a playoff series for the first time since 2001. If a #2 or #3 seed, the Bucks could even find themselves playing Boston again, only this time in the Eastern Conference Finals (with Boston unfortunately winning).

[Goose85]

I agree that Budenholzer and staff will be good for this team. They have me excited as I really think they can make a difference with this group.

A #3 seed is my prediction. Boston and Philly might be the two teams ahead. Agree that this year we need to win a playoff series.

[MU/Panther]

The betting show, Lock It In on FS1 that is daily @3:30pm. One guy said take the over on the Bucks for 48 wins.

[MUfan12]

They are actually running a modern offense, which is good for at least a few more wins. Do worry about the interior defense and defensive glass.

They're right there with Philly/Toronto/Indy in that 2-4 race. I think Washington ends up being a trainwreck. 49 wins, 3/4 seed.

[mufan2003]

They are actually running a modern offense, which is good for at least a few more wins. Do worry about the interior defense and defensive glass.

They're right there with Philly/Toronto/Indy in that 2-4 race. I think Washington ends up being a trainwreck. 49 wins, 3/4 seed.

Miami is another team in the East that always seems to maximize its personnel with great culture from the top (Pat Riley) down to Erik Spoelstra (underrated coach).

[mufan2003]

Plenty of optimism for the Bucks:

http://www.nba.com/powerrankings/2018-19-week-1

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24813839/projecting-best-worst-cases-toughest-stretches-all-30-teams

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/24988629/zach-lowe-crazy-predictions-2018-19-nba-season

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

In my opinion It will look like this at end of the season:
1. Boston
2. Toronto
3. Milwaukee
4. Philly

I could see Philly and Milwaukee swapping places, but I am just not quite ready to say that Embiid has all his injury woes behind him. I think the Bucks win 50 games this year, but I just think that Toronto and Boston are better teams than the Bucks for now, in my opinion the Bucks are missing one piece to be competing with the Celtics.

[MUAlphaBangura]

In my opinion It will look like this at end of the season:
1. Boston
2. Toronto
3. Milwaukee
4. Philly

I could see Philly and Milwaukee swapping places, but I am just not quite ready to say that Embiid has all his injury woes behind him. I think the Bucks win 50 games this year, but I just think that Toronto and Boston are better teams than the Bucks for now, in my opinion the Bucks are missing one piece to be competing with the Celtics.

Jimmy Butler! ;)

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

[/B]
Jimmy Butler! ;)

I’m not entirely sold that Jimmy is a great fit with Giannis, but if you could get him without giving up Khris Middleton I’d say it’s worth a shot. To me the ideal missing piece is a 3 pt shooting/playmaking point guard... perfect world type guy is a Steph Curry, which would never happen for obvious reasons, but a more realistic/obtainable option is probably a free agent type like Kemba Walker, but even that is difficult for the Bucks to pull off. To optimize Giannis you need to space the floor with three point shooting, that’s what you are seeing the Bucks do this year.

[MUAlphaBangura]

I’m not entirely sold that Jimmy is a great fit with Giannis, but if you could get him without giving up Khris Middleton I’d say it’s worth a shot. To me the ideal missing piece is a 3 pt shooting/playmaking point guard... perfect world type guy is a Steph Curry, which would never happen for obvious reasons, but a more realistic/obtainable option is probably a free agent type like Kemba Walker, but even that is difficult for the Bucks to pull off. To optimize Giannis you need to space the floor with three point shooting, that’s what you are seeing the Bucks do this year.

My thought process is I am not even looking at the offensive end. This team will not advance deeper in the playoffs without a better defensive commitment. And imo, that ain't happening with the roster as it is currently stands. The first 3 games, they basically have outscored average teams. At some point they will need to step it up defensively to beat good teams.

[Goose85]

My thought process is I am not even looking at the offensive end. This team will not advance deeper in the playoffs without a better defensive commitment. And imo, that ain't happening with the roster as it is currently stands. The first 3 games, they basically have outscored average teams. At some point they will need to step it up defensively to beat good teams.

That is what intrigues me about Jimmy Butler, the defensive end. Brogdan, Butler, Middleton, Giannis - that is some very good playoff caliber defense.

I keep putting myself in Minnesota's shoes. They are going to lose Butler for nothing at the end of the year, so they have to trade him. They also don't want to give him away either.
Most teams trading for him know there is a good chance they will lose him, and teams like the Clippers are just waiting until the offseason, no reason to trade for him.

If you are Minn, would you take Bledsoe, Maker, 1st rounder and a 2nd rounder? Hate to part with too much, like throwing in DiVincenzo, as Butler is likely just a one year rental.

[MUfan12]

Need one more shooter. Maybe Connaughton is that guy if he works his way into the rotation. They're at 40% from 3 as a team, but that's with Khris shooting out of his mind right now.

[mufan2003]

Also need to figure out what to do with Eric Bledsoe. In the final year of his contract. I thought he played poorly at the end of last season and in the playoffs against the Celtics (Rozier), but I think he has looked much better in the first 3 games (small sample size). Maybe some nagging injuries towards the end of last season.

13 assists the other night, and shooting 41% from beyond the arc (7 of 17) despite being a 33.8% career 3-point shooter. Interesting to hear that after Budenholzer was hired, an assistant was sent to California to work with Bledsoe. The directive was to do nothing but work on 3-point shooting. I am sure his percentage will drop with more games played, but a positive start.

[Goose85]

I was not expecting them to go 4-0 to start the season. Even with the Indiana and Philly games at home, I didn't think we would be 4-0.
Big tests next week with Toronto at home and Boston on the road.

[mufan2003]

I was not expecting them to go 4-0 to start the season. Even with the Indiana and Philly games at home, I didn't think we would be 4-0.
Big tests next week with Toronto at home and Boston on the road.

Definitely. Followed up by a 4-game west coast trip next week: Portland, Golden State, Clippers, Denver. The schedule may have been favorable to start the season, but it gets much tougher over these next 2 weeks. According to nba.com's power rankings, teams the Bucks will see:

#1-Toronto
#2-Golden State
#4-Denver
#6-Boston
#9-LA Clippers
#12-Portland

http://www.nba.com/powerrankings

[mufansince72]

Woelful deleted his press box, but you can still see his nonsense here: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:8ylMdZ2VEjYJ:woelfelspressbox.com/2018/10/if-youre-a-fan-of-mediocrity-the-bucks-are-your-team/&hl=en&gl=tw&strip=1&vwsrc=0

[Goose85]

This is a really fun team to watch, and I think some of that has to do with them playing with a better offensive approach and having a defensive scheme that is more effective in the NBA.
A difference in coaching, and the additions to the roster are paying off so far.

When they signed Connaughton I thought he was just roster filler, but the kid can play as can DiVencenzo.

Without Lebron the East is wide open, and no reason the way the Bucks are playing they shouldn't be considered one of the top three teams.