Bucks Zone

The top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks look to sharpen their arsenal while awaiting playoffs opponent

Expect the Milwaukee Bucks to be more prepared in the playoffs.

Matthew Dugandzic

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
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For emerging as the number one overall seed, the Milwaukee Bucks will have some extra days off as their opponent in the first round of playoffs will be known once the play-in tournament is completed.

The spare time will allow the Bucks to rest their banged-up key personnel, and more importantly, it will enable them to tie up some loose ends.

Preparing for the tough playoff grind

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said the downtime will be spent mainly on sharpening their arsenals instead of scouting their potential opponent.

“I think we’ll probably focus on ourselves, too, to be honest with you. The appropriate amount of scouting and prep will be put in,” Bundeholzer said after the team’s 121-105 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.

The Bucks ended the regular season with an NBA-best 58-24 record. It is the first time since 2020 that the Bucks are the number one overall seed.

Highlighted by a league-best 16-game win streak and an unbeaten run in February, Milwaukee was a dominant team in the regular season.

The Bucks, however, are not taking any chances, as they look to fine-tune some kinks, if there are any.

“I think it’s good for us to fine-tune some things and try to focus on us these next few days,” Jae Crowder said. “Obviously, we’re going to be watching these play-in games and seeing whoever the opponent may be, but it’s good for us to fine-tune some things leading up to the playoffs.”

Physically ready

Perhaps the greatest thing about the spare time is it will allow the Bucks to let their stars be more prepared health-wise in the playoffs.

Both hounded by knee issues, two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo missed his third straight game against Toronto, while Khris Middleton was out for the second straight game.

Those two All-Star teammates are expected to figure prominently in the playoffs, and to have them at full strength is something that the Bucks badly need.

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.