Milwaukee Bucks: Best and Worst of the 2016-17 Season

Feb 26, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13), forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and guard Khris Middleton (22) reacts after beating the Phoenix Suns 100-96 at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13), forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and guard Khris Middleton (22) reacts after beating the Phoenix Suns 100-96 at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
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Feb 26, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13), forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and guard Khris Middleton (22) reacts after beating the Phoenix Suns 100-96 at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2017; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13), forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and guard Khris Middleton (22) reacts after beating the Phoenix Suns 100-96 at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

The latest Milwaukee Bucks season brought us a slew of surprises, disappointments, and everything in between. What were the highs and lows of the entire year?

The Milwaukee Bucks season ended with a Game 6 loss in their first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors. A few weeks after that result, the focus in the Bucks biosphere has shifted to evaluating what occurred in 2016-17 and what it all means going forward.

If told during the regular season that the Bucks would find themselves in the spot mentioned above, fans would have a whole host of reactions depending on where the team was at that point.

Before the season, that eventuality would seem like a nice step up for an improving team looking to return to the postseason. As Milwaukee sat 22-30 and without Jabari Parker, even sniffing the playoffs would have seemed ludicrous.

Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks

Finally, having beat down the Raptors at home to take a 2-1 series lead, losing in six games would have been a disappointing eventuality, although still a plausible one.

It was an up-and-down season to be sure, which is something that could be said for virtually all teams but just feels most applicable to the Bucks.

Throughout the season, I wrote a regular Best and Worst column that went over everything the team had gone through and accomplished in the past week or so.

These issues were mostly shorter-term details that didn’t have that much influence on the long-term arc of the franchise, although with a few exceptions.

Now, with the season complete, it’s time to look back and evaluate what wound up being the highs and lows of greatest magnitude for the Bucks in 2016-17.

It should go without saying that the issues to follow will have a major impact on on the way we look back on this season and how the organization proceeds forward.