After an eventful regular season ended last night, the Milwaukee Bucks are officially slated to take on the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs.
This team has already been written off by many before the postseason has even started because of their performance in each of the previous two seasons. Plagued by the thought that they cannot translate their regular season success into the playoffs after two consecutive failures, they are certainly looking to rewrite the narrative this time around.
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With a retooled supporting cast that is highlighted by a three-headed monster and depth largely constructed of household names from top to bottom, the Bucks undoubtedly have the necessary talent to get the job done.
However, if Milwaukee will make a strong push for their first championship in over 50 years, they will have to overcome several issues that have paved the way for their demise in each of the past two postseasons.
With the being said, here are three goals that the Bucks must accomplish in these playoffs if they will hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time since 1971.
Goal No. 1: The Milwaukee Bucks must take control of the perimeter
Defending the perimeter has been an Achilles heel for the Bucks in each of the team’s last two trips to the postseason. Simultaneously, Milwaukee has struggled to consistently knock down their own triples on the big stage.
In the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals against the Toronto Raptors, the Bucks collectively shot just 31 percent from long range across six games. While Milwaukee struggled to find any rhythm on the offensive end, they were not much better defensively. With the Bucks failing to make any legitimate adjustments defensively all throughout the series, the Raptors took advantage by feasting on the perimeter as they shot 37.4 percent.
It was more of the same in last year’s second round matchup against the Miami Heat, who shot 37.3 from behind the arc over five games. Miami was always viewed as a nightmarish matchup for Milwaukee because of their blazing shooting, which ultimately proved true. As they took a beating from the perimeter defensively, the Bucks could not conjure up any success offensively by shooting just 32.7 percent from range.
If the Bucks see any success this time around, they will have to defend the perimeter well and consistently hit their own attempts. They have provided optimism on the offensive end in that regard by shooting 38.9 percent from deep this season, tied for the fourth-best mark in the association. However, there is certainly reason to be worried about their ability to defend the long ball as Milwaukee’s opponents are making an average of 14.8 triples per game this year, the most among all 30 teams.
If these defensive woes involving the perimeter carry over into the playoffs, the Bucks will inevitably land themselves in trouble once again. While they have done their part offensively by knocking in triples prolifically throughout the regular season, the Bucks must translate this shooting into the playoffs as well.