Milwaukee Bucks: After The Dust Has Settled

The Milwaukee Bucks may have been crushed by the Chicago Bulls in the Game 6 matchup in the BMO Harris Bradley Center that decided their fate, but there was so much more to this team, that series, and the season than that.

After finding themselves in the said to be impossible 3-0 hole in their opening round matchup of the post-season, the Bucks battled back, and did so with real vigor.

Picking up two straight games in the Playoffs is no mean feat for a young team, but doing so against a team of Chicago’s caliber is even more impressive.

Then again it should never really have been a surprise.

If there’s one thing that these Bucks have given the people of Milwaukee all season long, it’s genuine hope. And that’s what they did in this series too.

It gets mentioned a lot, but that’s because it’s worth remembering, this team finished last season with the worst record in the entire NBA and a meager record of 15 wins.

To go from that to a 41 win season and two Playoff wins in the space of twelve months is a genuinely remarkable achievement, and one that will only fuel this young team with more hunger, desire and readiness going forward.

These aren’t your inexperienced young Bucks any more. This version has now been Playoff tested against one of the most experienced squad’s in the entire NBA. They’ve had to witness the change of pace, the increased intensity, the spotlight and the pressure that is always such a big factor, at least when it comes to talking about the post-season.

Milwaukee have been there and done it now.

With the series on the line, Jason Kidd drew up a play just as he needed it for Jared Dudley to find Jerryd Bayless for a game-winning layup in the dying seconds of Game 4 in front of a raucous Bucks’ crowd.

That was impressive. It was almost as if that was the moment the team found their voice, and everyone cheered and nodded in acknowledgement, as if it was expected to just be a token gesture that set this team on their way for next season.

The Bucks had other ideas though.

That win gave them the confidence to go to the Chicago, go into the heart of the fire as such, and take another win. Winning in the Playoffs is one thing, post-season road wins is another though.

Apr 30, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; A Milwaukee Bucks fan holds up a sign thanking the Milwaukee Bucks owners during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bulls in game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Chicago won 120-66. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

For those of you who hadn’t been paying attention up until now, let me tell you: Milwaukee has one heck of a basketball team brewing.

It’s not like there’s a long developmental process ahead either. Sure, the front office will have decisions to make this summer, but the key foundational pieces are in place, and some of the supplementary ones might even be there too.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jabari Parker seem to be definite superstars in the making. Behind them Michael Carter-Williams and John Henson are only sustained consistency away from joining them. Guys like Zaza Pachulia and Jared Dudley are role model plug in veterans.

That’s how the picture looks even if Milwaukee allows Khris Middleton to walk away, and right now we don’t have any real indications that they would do that either.

This is a team that is still about the future, and it could be a potentially glorious one at that too, but they’re also a group who can make a real impact in the present.

With more knowledge, and a wider breadth of experience under their wings why can’t the Bucks challenge for home court advantage next year? Why shouldn’t their aim be to win a Playoff series?

Playoff exits don’t get much more disheartening than 54 point defeats, but for Bucks’ fans, their team provided so much unexpected hope and joy this season that it shouldn’t last long in the memory.

The Future starts in November, Milwaukee, and I don’t know about you, but I’m already excited to see what it looks like.

Next: Milwaukee Bucks Grades and Reactions From 120-66 Loss To Chicago

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