The Bucks were one of the NBA’s best teams down the stretch in 2016/17. Having fallen to 22-30 in early February, Milwaukee reeled off a 22-10 run to finish the season, earning a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and then giving the Raptors all they could handle in the first round.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s star on the rise and many of the Bucks’ other core players – such as Khris Middleton, Malcolm Brogdon, Thon Maker, and Jabari Parker – still young enough to expect improvements, the team is a popular pick to make some noise in the East in 2017/18.
Still, the Bucks’ cap situation prevented the club from making roster upgrades over the summer. Milwaukee didn’t lose many key pieces — off-the-bench scorer Michael Beasley headed elsewhere, and veteran glue guy Jason Terry remains unsigned, but virtually everyone else is back. The Bucks also didn’t add any players likely to make an impact in 2017/18 though. The team’s only real additions were draftees D.J. Wilson and Sterling Brown.
The Bucks have enough young talent that it’s reasonable to expect the team to take a step forward even without any changes to the roster, and oddsmakers are counting on that. After finishing with a 42-40 record last season, the Bucks have an over/under of 47.5 wins for 2017/18, per offshore betting site Bovada.
What do you think? Can the Bucks improve by at least six wins this season, even with Parker not expected to return until sometime in 2018? Or should we temper our expectations for the young squad a little? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!
Trade Rumors app users, click here to vote.
Previous over/under voting results:
- Golden State Warriors: Over 67.5 (53.57%)
- Boston Celtics: Over 55.5 (63.5%)
- Houston Rockets: Over 55.5 (65.57%)
- San Antonio Spurs: Over 54.5 (67.74%)
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Over 53.5 (68.82%)
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Over 50.5 (71.77%)
- Minnesota Timberwolves: Over 48.5 (55.69%)
- Toronto Raptors: Over 48.5 (64.21%)
- Washington Wizards: Over 47.5 (71.29%)
47.5 is such a perfect number. Boba daughter nailed it. I see them at 47, so I picked the under.
*Bovada- autocorrect
Apparently the bottom 5 teams are not going to win a game to compensate for everyone else going over…
At least 55