The Oklahoma City Thunder aren’t the only team in the NBA to make the first deposit this spring on a playoff investment that seems destined for great returns in coming seasons. Like the Thunder, the Milwaukee Bucks had advancement in their sights before getting trounced in consecutive contests to lose their first-round series to the Atlanta Hawks in seven games.
But unlike Oklahoma City, Milwaukee went to the brink without its two best players, Michael Redd and Andrew Bogut, who were both injured.
The Bucks proved all season that they played as hard as any team in the league — just ask the Wizards about getting blown out in consecutive games in a home-and-away series in March — and general manager John Hammond got a deserved nod for executive of the year. He saw through the hype of Brandon Jennings’ choice of a paid stint in Europe over college, getting a stellar campaign out of the rookie point guard. And the midseason acquisition of John Salmons, who averaged 19.6 points after the All-Star break, helped Milwaukee win 22 of its final 30 regular-season games.
In the end, however, it is almost fitting that the Bucks bowed out to the Hawks, given Atlanta’s series victory might only delay the inevitable truth that its championship window is closing. Not only will Milwaukee enter next season with the invaluable experience of reaching a playoff Game 7, but a fully healthy Bucks team is poised to be the kind of Eastern Conference contender the Hawks no longer will be should they lose Joe Johnson in free agency.
