"Playoff Bound: Seven Questions Surrounding the Milwaukee Bucks' Quest for the NBA Finals"

 The Milwaukee Bucks: Seven Big Questions for the Eastern Conference Playoff Race

The Milwaukee Bucks are currently leading the Eastern Conference playoff race, with only 11 games remaining in the regular season. They have a record of 51-20, and are 2.5 games ahead of the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. While the team would love to earn the top seed in the East, their primary focus is on improving their performance and heading into the postseason as the best version of themselves. Here are seven significant questions that will determine how effective they will be down the stretch.

• Can they take care of the ball?

The Bucks’ offense has a significant weakness in their inability to protect the ball, as they rank 18th in turnover percentage according to Cleaning the Glass. Joe Ingles, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday, three of their primary ball-handlers, are the biggest offenders. While they have been trending in the right direction since the end of January, ranking sixth in turnover percentage since January 29th, they still need to continue building positive habits with the ball in their hands.

• Will their offense continue trending upward

Mike Budenholzer’s club has had a down year, ranking 15th in the league in offense this a significant drop from their previous rankings. The good news is that they are trending upward, ranking fifth in offensive rating in the NBA since January 16th. With the addition of a healthy Middleton, who gives them four guys that can facilitate their offense, along with shooters like Brook Lopez, Grayson Allen, Jevon Carter, and Bobby Portis, their offense could become even more dangerous.

• How will the wing rotation play out?

Milwaukee has an abundance of quality wing players, with about 96 minutes of wing play available for Budenholzer to divide between the 2 and the 3. Middleton will get about 38 of those when the postseason begins, while Ingles and Jae Crowder will see at least 20 minutes each. This leaves at most 18 minutes for Pat Connaughton, Allen, Crowder, or Ingles, and one or two of those wings will be extremely disappointed come playoff time.

• Will Pat Connaughton break out of his slump?

Connaughton has struggled shooting the ball this season, and his shooting percentages have dropped significantly. While he brings average defense and can defend multiple positions, his rebounding is better than ever. The question remains whether that will be enough to earn consistent playing time over Ingles, Crowder, and/or Allen.

• Will the Bucks ever get healthy?

The Bucks have been waiting to be at full strength, and with only 11 games remaining, time is running out. While Antetokounmpo, Middleton, and Holiday are in the lineup, Antetokounmpo’s wrist could be a lingering concern. They are also missing role players such as Crowder, Goran Dragic, and Wes Matthews.

• Who cares about individual awards?

Several Bucks players are in the running for major individual awards, such as Antetokounmpo for MVP and Lopez for Defensive Player of the Year. While their teammates publicly lobby for each other to deserve these awards, the Bucks' primary focus is on winning the NBA Finals.

• Can they hold onto first place in the East?

The Bucks lead was precarious when they were only 1.5 games ahead of Boston and 2.5 ahead of Philadelphia. However, the team managed to pull ahead with a win over the Toronto Raptors, pushing their lead back to 2.5 games. The Bucks still have some tough games remaining, but with enough winnable games left, they should be able to hold onto first place