Milwaukee Bucks are the number one seed in the NBA Playoffs. People are not exactly acknowledging the Bucks’ existence which is okay for now. As some have noted, they do not want to see this team succeed. The ball gets tipped on Sunday evening and so begins what could be the most fun two month stretch of our lives as Bucks fans. It could also be something that does not live up to the hype. Bucks haven’t done that all year, but the playoffs are a different beast. What should our expectations be for this Bucks team?

NBA Finals Appearance
This is the ultimate goal, right? Bucks get to the NBA Finals, and everyone is happy. No one is going to say shit about the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo leaving or anything else. It is very hard to get there. Not many teams can go through the grind of the playoffs to find their way to the NBA Finals. Milwaukee has the talent to do it though. They have the numbers, the road record and ability to make a Finals run. It would be crazy for that first Thursday night to have Bucks-Warriors, Bucks-Rockets at the Fiserv Forum on ABC.

Eastern Conference Finals Appearance
Most Bucks fans would settle for this outcome. No matter how it ended up, this stings for some people as the window seems wide open for the Bucks. I get that. But at the same time, this is a massive step for the team. It means they likely take down Boston in the second round, and they couldn’t get by either Toronto or Philadelphia. That hurts to even write or think about yet that’s a fine outcome with the season.

Second Round Exit
Earlier this year, I wrote and said on podcasts that all the Bucks needed to do was win a playoff series. That’s a small step for the future. Well, that changed throughout the year. Bucks bowing out in the second round would raise more questions than answers and make me think this team does not have enough good players to win a championship. This is the Bucks year from all the numbers and ability of their star player. The best player in the conference rarely exits the playoffs before the conference finals.

First Round Exit
While this is highly unlikely, this is the disaster of all disasters. Bucks become the laughingstock of the league if this happens to them.

I’m mentally ready for this playoff ride. As Milwaukee sports fans, we experienced a deep baseball run, and that kills you because you hang on every pitch. This is different. I don’t know how to explain it, but this feels different. Maybe it is Giannis. Maybe it’s due to a LeBron-free Eastern Conference, but there is a different vibe to the playoff run. I think what comes down to is this… I truly believe the Bucks can win the NBA Finals, and that is the most exciting/terrifying thought ever.

Charlie.