Milwaukee Bucks: Ranking the 10 greatest seasons in franchise history

9. 1984-85 season

59-23, lost 4-0 in Conference Semi-finals

Considering just how significant the Bucks shook things up leading into the 1984-85 season, Milwaukee managing to avoid skipping a beat en route to 59 wins was incredibly impressive.

If anything, the fact they were able to pick up where they left off even after swapping out Marques Johnson and Junior Bridgeman for Terry Cummings, Ricky Pierce and Craig Hodges, set expectations even higher than most would have dreamed of as the year progressed.

Don Nelson’s ability to adjust on the fly earned him Coach of the Year honors, while there was little doubt the Bucks were helped by Cummings coming in and taking some pressure off Sidney Moncrief, as he finished as the Bucks’ leader in both points and rebounds per game.

Entering the playoffs with the second best record in the Eastern Conference, and then quickly advancing beyond the Chicago Bulls with a 3-1 first round victory, there was plenty of reason to believe that the new-look Bucks might have what it takes to bring a championship back to Wisconsin.

All of that optimism was to unravel in record time, though, as a Conference Semi-Finals matchup with perennial rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers, saw the Bucks cut down to size with a 4-0 sweep. Considering the Bucks were one game better than the Sixers in the regular season, the sense of disappointment was no less great than in other battles with Philadelphia either.