Things haven’t been good for the Milwaukee Bucks this season. The team currently has a 26-34 record, which is good (or not good, rather) for the fifth worst record in the Eastern Conference and the tenth worst in the entire NBA. Moreover, Milwaukee has gone 5-5 in its last 10 games, including losing three consecutive games by 20 points or more. Last night’s drubbing at the hands of the Celtics was especially demoralizing.
All those reasons and more will probably make the next sentence we write seem like it’s parody, absurdity, or some combination of the two, but we really, truly, absolutely believe it. The Milwaukee Bucks will make the playoffs. And while we’re tossing out bold predictions, it’s also quite possible they make a postseason run. Please try to stop laughing for a few minutes and read these five reasons why we feel strangely confident about the Bucks heading into the final six weeks of the regular season.
1. Giannis is back
Last night marked the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo. It’s no secret The Greek Freak missing significant time this season on account of injuries is the primary reason Milwaukee finds itself in this unsavory position. Despite only playing 25 minutes last night, Giannis led Milwaukee in both scoring and rebounds. As he works his way back to his familiar form and his minutes restriction is eventually lifted, he—still one of the best players in the league right now and one of the NBA’s all-time best—is sure to carry Milwaukee on his back en route to the Play-In Tournament and potentially far beyond. If he can stay healthy, that is.
2. New contributors have emerged
Antetokounmpo won’t have to do it alone, however, as the rest of Milwaukee’s roster is beginning to solidify around him…at least compared to the supporting cast he had at the start of the season. In fact, the Giannis-less Bucks actually went on a nice 8-2 run in mid-February prior to the current losing streak. Much of that has to do with the acquisition of Ousmane Dieng and Cam Thomas, as well as Kevin Porter Jr. returning to the lineup to pitch in alongside default leaders when Giannis is gone, Ryan Rollins and Myles Turner. Milwaukee didn’t make any massive moves at the deadline, but they quietly got better.
3. The remaining schedule is good to Milwaukee
As things stand after last night’s loss, the Bucks are currently 3.5 games behind the Charlotte Hornets for the 10th spot in the East (a.k.a. the fourth and final spot in the conference’s Play-In Tournament). While that deficit isn’t small, Milwaukee’s remaining regular season schedule seems to favor a team that needs to make up some ground in the standings. Twelve of Milwaukee’s final 22 games are against teams that don’t have winning records. Beyond that, other opponents with winning records and high playoff seeds cemented are likely to rest starters down the stretch and focus on the postseason.
4. They’re finally healthy when it really matters
Aside from Taurean Prince, who is likely to miss the remainder of the year, the Bucks are entering the final fourth of the regular season as healthy as they’ve been at any point in the 2025-2026 campaign. Should this newfound health build consistency and eventually find Milwaukee getting hot at the right time, they could be a dangerous team to face down the stretch. And if they peak when the playoffs come around…who knows what can happen!? A healthy Giannis could make any playoff series interesting.
5. The future is unknown, so the Bucks pretty much have to win now
The window is closing. In fact, it’s barely cracked at this point, but it’s still possible the Bucks can win now. And they might have to. Giannis staying in Milwaukee through the deadline mercifully quieted the trade speculation for a few months, but that storyline is sure to reach a fever pitch again this offseason as Antetokounmpo prepares for his final year under contract with Milwaukee.
Meanwhile, Doc Rivers is (justifiably) on the hot seat and seems unlikely to ever be hired anywhere else if his Bucks tenure doesn’t turn around fast. Bobby Portis isn’t getting any younger and the team has limited draft capital after countless “win now” moves made in recent seasons. In some ways, these 26-34 Bucks kind of need to be all-in for a playoff push this season because the future is uncertain and, quite frankly, it looks like things could get bad for a few seasons. If that’s not motivation to get things together and win now, nothing is.
It’s been a season to forget so far, but get ready to see your Milwaukee Bucks in the playoffs this spring! We think. Maybe.