The Bucks Stop Here: A Season Of Unfulfilled Expectations

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MAY 02: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks, grey hoodie, looks ... [+] on from the bench during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers of game six of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 02, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

When the Milwaukee Bucks fired Mike Budenholzer at the end of last year’s premature playoff run and traded for Damian Lillard months later, fantasies of Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo teaming up in the postseason danced in fans’ heads. Nobody imagined Milwaukee would go down like this. Never like this.

He exploded in the playoffs after a disappointing regular season by Lillard’s standards. He dropped 35 points in the first half of Game 1 and helped Milwaukee cruise to a victory for a 1-0 series lead. He scored 34 in a Game 2 loss and put up 28 more in a Game 3 defeat. Unfortunately, he was injured not once but twice in Game 3 and was forced to sit out Games 4 and 5 before returning for the series finale.

He joined Antetokounmpo on the bench for those two games, as his superstar teammate couldn’t get on the court for a single second during this series. Antetokounmpo strained his left calf on April 9th while jogging up the court following an inbounds pass.

After playing in his first 43 career playoff games and 77 of his first 80, he’s now missed eight of his last 10.

Antetokounmpo’s presence was anticipated before every game, but it’s unclear how close he ever really came to suiting up. He never participated in his pre-game warm-up routine or in a workout open to the media.

Without him, Milwaukee was forced to play small against an Indiana Pacers team that killed them on the boards. The Pacers played with pace, aggression and intensity, knowing the Bucks’ best counter was in a Nike Nike sweatsuit on the bench. They were well-coached and disciplined throughout most of the series.

The Pacers always seemed to have an answer for the shorthanded Bucks. Perhaps no better example was at the end of the third quarter in Game 6.

Milwaukee trailed by double digits for most of the contest, but made a small run to cut the lead to seven at 78-85 with 1:05 remaining. However, the Pacers responded as they tended to do throughout most of the series.

Brook Lopez finished an and-one layup through contact and headed to the free throw line to cut the deficit to six points. Instead, he missed the free throw and T.J. McConnell blew past Malik Beasley on the other end for a layup.

Lopez threw a pick-six on the Bucks’ next possession, as Andrew Nembhard picked off a misguided cross-court pass and took it the length of the court for an and-one fastbreak layup. Following a Khris Middleton missed three, McConnell hit a wide-open three as Milwaukee was too concerned about him getting to the hoop for another layup.

What was almost a six-point deficit for Milwaukee suddenly ballooned to a 15-point one. They would never get closer.

It’s unfortunate their season ended without ever having a chance to go down swinging with their full roster intact. That’s life in sports, however. Bucks’ fans will be forced to wait another grueling year to see their once-in-a-generation superstar suit up for a playoff series. Hopefully, it will be healthy this time.