MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Following their NBA championship season in 2021, the Bucks had back-to-back years over 50 wins, posting 51 in 2022 and 58 in 2023. But last year, that total slipped to 49, a disturbing downward trend.

After firing first-year head coach Adrian Griffin midway through the season despite leading his squad to a 30-13 record — which was second-best in the league at the time — the Bucks turned for veteran coach Doc Rivers. But he went just 17-19 to close out the regular season, and then the shorthanded Bucks got knocked out in the first-round of the 2024 NBA playoffs by the Indiana Pacers.

Known just as much for his shortcomings in the postseason as his 2008 title as the Boston Celtics’ head coach, Rivers enters this season with one of the league’s best duos in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, and its main core that won it all just three years ago. If they can all remain healthy throughout the regular season, then there shouldn’t be any doubt that Milwaukee will remain one of the biggest threats to get out of the Eastern Conference and compete for another NBA crown. 

With free agency and trades that happen every NBA offseason and opponents coming back to full health in 2024-25, do the Bucks have what it takes to get back to the 50-win benchmark?

Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report believes the Bucks can remain in contention in the Eastern Conference by the time it’s all said and done. He sees an increased win total for the Bucks in BR’s annual win-loss prediction for every team in the league.

Bailey predicts Milwaukee to finish the season with a 51-31 record, which would earn them its second straight third-place finish within the Eastern Conference — trailing only Philadelphia and Boston.

1. Boston (56-26)
2. Philadelphia (52-30)
3. Milwaukee (51-31)
4. New York (49-33)
5. Cleveland (49-33)
6. Orlando (48-34)
7. Indiana (46-36)
8. Miami (45-37)

The Milwaukee Bucks were one of the most disappointing teams in the NBA last season. They fired championship-winning coach Mike Budenholzer in the summer of 2023, then fired his replacement, Adrian Griffin midway through 2023-24. They went for a big name to take over for Griffin, and then Doc Rivers had a below .500 record with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and a core that won it all just three years ago.
Of course, Giannis missing the playoffs with an injury obviously impacted how the campaign ended, but Milwaukee was a mess long before it was eliminated by the Pacers.
The defense finished the season ranked in the bottom half of the league. Lillard, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton are all on the other side of their primes. And Rivers has become known as much for his playoff shortcomings over the last 15 years as he is for his 2008 title.
But the Bucks still have Giannis, one of the two or three most physically dominant players in the league. And if he’s available, they figure to pile up regular-season wins.
It also helps to land quality veterans like Gary Trent Jr. and Delon Wright on small deals, but this bet on the over depends almost entirely on Milwaukee’s Greek superstar.

–  Andy Bailey, Bleacher Report

Sportsbooks in Las Vegas place the Bucks” over/under at 50.5 wins heading into the season, with plus-1300 or longer odds, depending on the sportsbook, to win the 2025 NBA Finals.

In a league full of parity that’s seen six straight different NBA champions over the last six seasons, oddsmakers still believe the Bucks are one of the handful of teams that have a realistic shot at lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy this upcoming season.