The Milwaukee Bucks cannot afford to be complacent this offseason

After seven games of frustrating basketball, the Milwaukee Bucks’ title defense has come to an end at the hands of the Boston Celtics.

Now, they will head into the offseason with some questions to address about the future, but it is certainly not a time to overreact. While excuses are excuses, the Bucks were without their All-Star forward in Khris Middleton, and his absence proved to be far too much for Milwaukee to overcome as their offense looked beyond sluggish. The Bucks could chalk it up and say, “Well, Middleton was not there, at least we took it to a Game 7. We’ll be back next year.” While that is true, the Bucks’ front office cannot just sit back and be of the mindset that running it back with the same roster and a healthy Khris Middleton is the way to go. Both statements can be true that Middleton’s absence was hurtful but the team’s other issues also plagued them in this series.

While they should certainly keep their Big 3 intact, the Bucks need to address the handful of roster issues that were on full display in their second round loss to the Celtics.

The Milwaukee Bucks cannot afford to be complacent this offseason

First and foremost, the Milwaukee Bucks must prioritize adding more shooting, especially if they can get it on the wing. They shot a woeful 32.7 percent from behind the arc in the playoffs, and it has been like this for years. The Bucks will shoot it well from three in the regular season but then completely lose their touch in the postseason, for whatever reason. If there is a chance the Bucks could land a sharpshooting wing like Buddy Hield, they must pounce on the opportunity. Adding a player like that would undoubtedly be a big move to help patch one of Milwaukee’s biggest flaws. To a lesser degree, players like Royce O’Neal or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would be great fits on this roster moving forward. Whether it is in trade or free agency, the Bucks must not be afraid to spend a bit and make a splash.

The Bucks must also hit a home run in the 2022 NBA Draft, where they are currently slated to go 24th. Given how rare it is that they actually have a first, the Bucks cannot waste this pick if they do decide to hang onto it. They need to draft a young player, preferably a wing, that can come in and help this team in their quest to win another title, rather than someone they will just put on the shelf for the first few seasons of their career. Milwaukee has been shakey with their selections in the first round over the years, but this is one they absolutely cannot afford to miss on. This pick may not make or break the Milwaukee Bucks, but it is incredibly important to inject some youth into the fold and get a good young player with a very rare first rounder.

Whatever they do, the Bucks cannot be complacent. They have a lethal Big 3 that puts them in the title-contending conversation alone, but they need to make some tweaks with the ensemble cast. General manager Jon Horst has always taken an aggressive approach when it comes to retooling, and after a handful of his moves did not quite pan out this year, he must wipe the slate clean and get busy making some moves this offseason. One or two moves could alter things entirely, and it will be fascinating to see what the former Executive of the Year winner has up his sleeve.

Keep a close eye on the Milwaukee Bucks this offseason as they aim to rebound from this loss.