The Milwaukee Bucks have been eliminated in the first round in each of the last three playoffs. Nine-time All-NBA power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo wasn’t available at all two seasons ago for the club’s first round series defeat against the Indiana Pacers, but he was perfectly healthy this year.<\/p>\n
Still, the Bucks weren’t able to take down Indiana. Heading into next year, the Bucks won’t have an All-Star at point guard, as they decided to waive an injured Damian Lillard earlier this summer.<\/p>\n
Despite only having one All-Star on the roster in Antetokounmpo, one NBA pundit has a bold prediction for what the Bucks are going to be able to accomplish next year.<\/p>\n
More news: Bucks\u2019 Kevin Porter Makes Major Change Heading Into New Season<\/a><\/p>\n While speaking on The Ringer’s “The Zach Lowe Show,”<\/a> Michael Pina made a bold prediction that, if everything breaks right, the Bucks could end up being a four-seed in the Eastern Conference next season.<\/p>\n Pina believes that the team’s move to bring Myles Turner in could pay dividends right away. He also mentions that Antetokounmpo gives them a chance to compete in a weak Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n Antetokounmpo is still one of the best players in the NBA. He finished among the top three in MVP voting this past season, so he can still carry a team to the playoffs.<\/p>\n This past season, the 48-34 Bucks were the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, with Lillard missing the last few weeks of the season with a blood clot in his calf.<\/p>\n The 29-year-old Turner represents an upgrade over this current vintage of Brook Lopez, 37, when it comes to the center spot. He is a better 3-point shooter and shot-blocker than Lopez was, which pairs well with Antetokounmpo.<\/p>\n More news: Bucks Almost Traded for Former Defensive Player of the Year in Major Move<\/a><\/p>\n Without Lillard, the Bucks don’t really have a guard whom they can rely on to score the ball at a high level. They don’t have someone who can run the pick-and-roll with Turner or Antetokounmpo to put pressure on the defense.<\/p>\n Turner will now become the second-best player for the Bucks. If forward Kyle Kuzma can improve on his play from when he got traded in the middle of the season, they have a shot to get that fourth seed.<\/p>\n With the Pacers and the Boston Celtics missing their best players for most or all of the 2025-26 season, there is clearly a void in the East. The Bucks feel confident they can fill that void as long as Antetokounmpo decides to stay.<\/p>\n More news: Bucks’ $216 Million Blockbuster Trade Named One of NBA’s Biggest Mistakes of the Decade<\/a><\/p>\n