The Milwaukee Bucks are one of the hardest teams to figure out in the NBA this season.
They have been extremely inconsistent, with high highs and low lows, and every time you begin to think either positively or negatively about them, they flip the other way.
The Bucks have given us several reasons to believe in them for the playoffs, but they've also given us several reasons not to believe in them. Here are some of the positives and negatives.
Reason to believe: They have Giannis Antetokounmpo
Every time you want to count the Milwaukee Bucks out and bury them, you remember that they have arguably the best player in the world. Despite the team's inconsistencies, Giannis Antetokounmpo has been better than ever.
Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.3 assists this season, another dominant year that should have him in the top four in MVP voting for a seventh consecutive season.
He once again had ridiculous efficiency and consistency this season, shooting over 60 percent from the floor and only shooting below 50 percent in five games all season.
Over his last six games of the season, Antetokounmpo averaged a triple-double with 31.8 points, 12 rebounds and 11.8 assists. He has taken over most of the ball-handling duties without Damian Lillard and shown he can run the offense effectively.
The Bucks always have a chance to win when they have Giannis Antetokounmpo. Even if the situation around him becomes bleak, there is the possibility of him putting the team on his shoulders for a 2021-esque Finals run. He cannot be counted out.
Reason NOT to believe: They struggle against the best teams
The Bucks had several hot streaks during the season, but they also went through several cold stretches, which typically lined up with the difficulty of their schedule.
When Milwaukee had to face difficult competition or go on road trips, they typically struggled and looked like pretenders, and when they faced easier competition or had home stands, they were able to rattle off wins and get people believing again.
They went just 14-20 against teams with a winning record this season, compared to 34-14 against all other teams. They were 0-10 against the top three teams in the East. Some context needs to be applied as far as health in those games, but obviously, that is not a great sign when projecting towards the playoffs.
Milwaukee simply has not had many signature good performances this season, so it is hard to see them all of a sudden consistently winning games in the playoffs against the best competition.
Reason to believe: 3-point shooting around Giannis is as good as ever
Over the course of Giannis' career, the name of the game has been to surround him with shooters, and this season, the Milwaukee Bucks have done that effectively.
The Bucks finished the regular season number one in 3-point percentage at 38.7 percent. That is their second-highest percentage in a season in franchise history, behind only 2021 (38.9 percent), when they won the NBA Finals.
Not having Damian Lillard will hurt Milwaukee's shooting a bit, but they still have six other rotation players shooting above 37 percent from three.
Shooting is always a key indicator of success for NBA teams, but even more so with this Bucks team. They were 39-15 when shooting at least 35 percent from three, and 9-19 when shooting under 35 percent.
If the Milwaukee Bucks are going to make a run in the playoffs, their shooters will need to be hot, and this season, they've typically been hot way more often than they've been cold.
Reason NOT to believe: They have consistently been playing from behind
One of the concerns with the Bucks down the stretch of the season has been their slow starts and constantly falling behind in games.
The Bucks have a -5.7 net rating in the first quarter of games since the All-Star break, which ranks 22nd in the league and dead last among playoff teams. They have consistently fallen behind early in games and needed to play catch-up the rest of the way.
Of their 29 games since the All-Star break, Milwaukee has trailed by double digits at some point in 18 of those games. While they have come back to win nine of those games, that does not seem like a recipe for success in the playoffs.
In 15 of their 29 games since the All-Star break, they have trailed longer than they have led for.
The Bucks will need to be more consistent and get off to better starts in the playoffs so they aren’t playing from behind throughout games.
Reason to believe: Kevin Porter Jr. has played well in the absence of Lillard
One of the biggest reasons the Bucks were able to close the season on an eight-game win streak despite missing Damian Lillard is the play of Kevin Porter Jr.
Over his last eight games, Porter averaged 18.3 points and 5.1 assists on 54 percent shooting from the field and 44 percent from three. Since coming to the Milwaukee Bucks at the trade deadline, his performances have turned plenty of likely losses into wins.
Porter has also been key on the defensive end, jumping into passing lanes for steals and getting out in transition. He had 11 steals in his final four games of the season.
The Bucks need some shot creation and playmaking ability outside of Giannis Antetokounmpo. Without Damian Lillard, Porter might be the only other player who can provide that somewhat consistently.
If he can keep up this level of play in the playoffs while Damian Lillard is still out, it will be a big difference-maker for Milwaukee's chances.
Reason NOT to believe: Their bigs can be exposed in the playoffs
A big question mark with the Milwaukee Bucks in recent seasons has been their bigs and whether they can succeed defensively in the playoffs.
Brook Lopez is a very good rim protector when he is in position, but he continues to get slower as the years pass, and it is difficult to keep him on the floor against a quick Pacers team. If he is on the court for an extended period of time, it is likely he will start to get out of position and be exposed on defense.
Bobby Portis is also a shaky defender with his lack of quickness and poor instincts. He is nice to have as a rebounder, but he struggles in basically all defensive schemes and is another guy who likely will be exposed if he is at center for long stretches.
The Bucks should have Jericho Sims back from injury, who can provide a change of pace with his athleticism. But he is nowhere near the offensive player that Lopez or Portis are, so that opens up another can of worms.
Doc Rivers will need to pull all the right strings to find the lineups that are most effective, and whether that is playing Giannis at center more or giving Sims some of the Lopez and Portis minutes, it is uncertain if Rivers will even consider it.