Milwaukee Bucks: 5 keys to challenging for a top-4 seed next season

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 13: A shot of the Milwaukee Bucks logo during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 13, 2015 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rocky Widner/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 13: A shot of the Milwaukee Bucks logo during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 13, 2015 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and condition of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Rocky Widner/Getty Images)
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CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 13: (Photo by Rocky Widner/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – OCTOBER 13: (Photo by Rocky Widner/Getty Images)

If the Milwaukee Bucks want to push themselves into the mix for a top-4 seed in the Eastern Conference next season, what do they need to do?

The Milwaukee Bucks will enter the new season having made very few changes of their own, but with the Eastern Conference looking very different to how it did last season.

Jimmy Butler and Paul George have gone West, with only Gordon Hayward standing out as a notable star name who has made the switch in the opposite direction to the Eastern Conference.

Carmelo Anthony could also follow many of his peers in moving out West, while whether Kyrie Irving goes West or ends up on a new team in the East, the possibility of the Cleveland Cavaliers losing their second best player instantly makes the battle for a place in the Finals more interesting.

If the Bucks are looking to continue their progression toward being a championship contender, the first step would seem to be to earn homecourt advantage in the playoffs, and then follow that up by finally winning a playoff series.

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Milwaukee gave the Toronto Raptors all they could handle as a sixth seed last season, but if they ultimately want to pull through one of those competitive series, it seems obvious that gaining and protecting homecourt could be the key.

With the goals obvious for what the next step in the Bucks’ development should be, let’s take a closer look at what the keys to achieving that feat could be for Milwaukee.