The higher the expectations, the harder you fall.
The Milwaukee Bucks' 2023-2024 season has ended after losing in the first round to the Indiana Pacers in six games.
Doc Rivers and the rest of the Bucks finished their campaign on a bitter note after succumbing to the young Pacers, 98-120.
Damian Lillard returned for the team after missing Game 5 due to Achilles issues and scored 28 points. Series hero Khris Middleton, meanwhile, went cold and only managed to put up 14 points.
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Superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo did not play a game in the series at all.
The Bucks were among the favorites heading into the season with their acquisition of Lillard from the Portland Trailblazers.
Alas, things never got stable for them as the season went along.
How did this happen to a team with two of the best franchise leaders in history?
3 main takeaways from the Bucks' failed NBA title bid
1. Looking for identity from coach instead of team
They were doing well with Adrian Griffin. They hoped to become dominant by firing him mid-season and hiring Doc Rivers.
Nothing of that sort happened. They were 17-19 under his tutelage.
Rivers is a good coach, but as the saying goes, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Antetokounmpo greenlighted the coaching change, and he even praised Rivers' hiring.
"Some peace of mind," Antetokounmpo said via The Atheltic when asked what it was like playing for Rivers in February.
"He's tough. He's Doc f-ing Rivers. He knows his s-. Same thing for Coach Bud. Same with Joe Prunty, J-Kidd. And Coach Griff was a great coach, a great person to work with, but, at the end of the day, it was his first time."
Yes, they were mid with AG even if they were 30-13.
However, changing the coach meant a total revision of the system, which they did not have the luxury of time for.
They wanted to get better in defense, but the offense suffered.
It did not help that their three main players never spent time together.
2. Big 3 did not have enough time together
The Bucks were instant underdogs in their series against the Pacers after the news of the Greek Freak's injury and the possibility of missing the entire first round.
Lillard showed that he was a playoff guy in the first two games. Khris Middleton proved why he was among the most underrated players in the league.
The Pacers had their numbers in the offseason, but the playoffs are a different story.
Rivers coached the trio of Khash, Giannis, and Dame just eight times this season. Of those games, they went 3-5.
One of the big 3 was not able to finish some of those games after being forced out due to injuries.
3. Lack of trust on the bench
The playoffs are where rotations get shorter.
However, it would not hurt to trust the bench if the roster is riddled with injuries.
The Bucks signed veterans they seldom used. Like Danilo Gallinari.
Meanwhile, AJ Green and Andre Jackson Jr. are playing their hearts out whenever they get the chance. They provide hustle and defense whenever needed.
The Bucks' season was a failure. There's no way around it. It's back to the drawing board for them.
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