Following the All-Star break, the Milwaukee Bucks will face the 20th-hardest schedule for the rest of the season, per Tankathon. For a team whose playoff hopes are on life support after what has been a brutal season, currently sitting at 12th in the East with a record of 23-30, that schedule could provide the Bucks with a needed boost.
The Milwaukee Bucks must capitalize on schedule following the break
Despite Milwaukee's 20th-ranked schedule, they face a tough stretch right out of the gates. Following a matchup with the Pelicans, a team near the bottom of the standings, the Bucks will face off with the Raptors, Heat, Cavaliers, Knicks, Bulls, and Celtics in that order. Outside of Chicago, who is still ahead of Milwaukee in the standings, all of those other teams are firmly in the current playoff picture.
If the Milwaukee Bucks want to dig themselves out of this seven games below .500 hole, they need a strong finish in this stretch. A 5-2 record over these seven games feels like a must. They must make light work of the Pelicans and Bulls, but they also need wins against some of the formidable foes they could later face in the NBA Playoffs.
Milwaukee needs to build up some positive momentum in those first seven games to help them get the ball rolling. The team has won three games in a row just once this season. Now would be a great time to tally a few more of those streaks. If not, the Bucks will only continue to dig themselves into a deeper hole that, at some point, will be impossible to climb out of.
The Bucks entered the All-Star break with some good vibes, boasting a 5-1 record over their last six games. Sure, they didn't play the most formidable opponents, but that didn't matter early in the year; Milwaukee was losing to everyone back then. Now, they've finally shown some growth and must not let the long layoff between games disrupt their groove.
Obviously, getting Giannis Antetokounmpo back will help the Milwaukee Bucks mightily. They've been winning without him lately, and their odds will only increase when he returns. Furthermore, the Bucks have gotten a significant boost from newcomers Ousmane Dieng and Cam Thomas, who have hit the ground running instantly and should be major contributors down the stretch.
The opportunity is there for the Milwaukee Bucks to overcome their early-season woes, and they must seize it.
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