The Milwaukee Bucks are one of the teams to watch in the Eastern Conference this season. They have been a trendy team to pick to contend in the East for a few years now, but mediocre coaching, especially on defense and with lineup manipulation, held them back a bit. There have undoubtedly been bright spots, though.

Milwaukee’s All-World point-forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the best players in the NBA, and he could be in the MVP conversation for years. The supporting cast is as good as it’s been since Antetokounmpo came to the Bucks this season, too. New Milwaukee head coach Mike Budenholzer should be a massive upgrade over Jason Kidd and Joe Prunty, too.

In 2017-18, they flashed some offensive firepower with the likes of mid-season acquisition Eric Bledsoe at point guard, and Khris Middleton established himself as the clear second option going into the upcoming season.

On the surface, the Bucks offense was one of the best in the East. They had the league’s seventh-best offensive rating and sixth-best true shooting rate, per NBA.com. Milwaukee’s offense was largely predicated on Antetokounmpo, Middleton, and Bledsoe pick-and-rolls, but the Bucks’ shooting efficiency aside was inconsistent.

With off-season additions of Ersan Ilyasova and Brook Lopez as pick-and-pop threats, the perimeter efficiency and big versatility should increase. Their offense was too predictable at times last year. Against the league’s best teams, it could get stagnant too often, and Budenholzer should help combat that. For Milwaukee to have a better chance to make a deep run in the postseason, they need to have better ball and man movement to counteract Antetokounmpo’s ridiculous athleticism and length as a bucket-getter.

Next Up: Goal 3