Bucks Zone

Report predicts the Milwaukee Bucks will win just 50 games in the regular season

The Milwaukee Bucks may not take the regular season all that seriously.

Jonas Panerio

© David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
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Just like the Golden State Warriors learned back in 2016, chasing plaudits in the regular season doesn’t really mean a thing if you don’t win it all. That being said, the Milwaukee Bucks may play it safe in the regular season, given how their roster is now one of the oldest in the entire league. And while this tactic may preserve the veterans’ health for the postseason, it may have an adverse impact on the Bucks’ regular season record.

A report by Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report acknowledges this possibility and, as such, predicts that the Bucks may win just 50 regular season games next season.

Age is catching up

While Giannis will turn 29 when this year ends, his three All-Star teammates—Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez—are all approaching the wrong side of 30. It would be prudent for the Bucks to manage their minutes in the regular season, which could mean resting some players or giving them lighter workloads.

Although this could see Milwaukee lose a few more regular season games than usual, it could ultimately pay dividends when playoff time rolls around and veterans like Holiday, Lopez, and Middleton are able to stay fresh for a long postseason run

“The Milwaukee Bucks have somewhat quietly become one of the oldest teams in the NBA (only the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers have higher average ages),” Bailey wrote.

“And when you compound that with injury issues for individual players, it's easy to feel a hint of skepticism about the over/under,” Bailey explained, referring to the over/under of 53.5.

Health concerns

While neither Giannis nor the Bucks would ever admit to it, the Greek Freak’s back injury in Game 1 of the first-round series against the Miami Heat doomed Milwaukee. Even though Giannis returned for Games 4 and 5, he clearly was not operating at 100 percent, and the Heat had garnered enough momentum to complete the upset win.

That said, Bailey said the aging core has not necessarily been a pillar of health the last few seasons, which may lead the Bucks to dial back their workload some more.

“Giannis Antetokounmpo has averaged 63.5 games per year over the last four seasons. Khris Middleton is at 57.3 over the same stretch. And while Brook Lopez played 78 games and had perhaps his best season as a Buck in 2022-23, he's 35 years old and had a back surgery during 2021-22.”

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO