2019–20_Milwaukee_Bucks_season
2019–20 Milwaukee Bucks season
NBA professional basketball team season
The 2019–20 Milwaukee Bucks season was the 52nd season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA).[1] The Bucks entered the season following a playoff defeat in six games from the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference finals. The Bucks had the best team defensive rating in the NBA.[2]
| 2019–20 Milwaukee Bucks season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Division champions | |||
| Head coach | Mike Budenholzer | ||
| General manager | Jon Horst | ||
| Owners | |||
| Arena | Fiserv Forum | ||
| Results | |||
| Record | 56–17 (.767) | ||
| Place | Division: 1st (Central) Conference: 1st (Eastern) | ||
| Playoff finish | Conference semifinals (lost to Heat 1–4) | ||
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |||
| Local media | |||
| Television | Fox Sports Wisconsin | ||
| Radio | WTMJ | ||
| |||
On February 23, 2020, the Bucks became the first team to clinch a playoff berth after the Chicago Bulls defeated the Washington Wizards. The season was suspended by the league officials following the games of March 11[3] after it was reported that Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.[4] The Bucks returned to play on July 31 against the Boston Celtics at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.[5]
The Bucks were 53–9 (.855) early in March before losing three straight games before the season was suspended on March 11 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. When the format of the 2020 NBA Bubble announced, Bucks won the Central Division on June 4 and tied Detroit Pistons' record of 9 Central Division titles. After a 23-point comeback win over the Miami Heat, the Bucks clinched the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the second consecutive season as well as the best NBA record overall for the shortened season at 56–17, or roughly 63–19 in a full season. The Bucks faced the Orlando Magic in the First Round. In a significant development following the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, the Bucks led a strike in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, refusing to play Game 5 of their series against the Magic on August 26. On September 8, the Milwaukee Bucks season came to an end when the 5th seeded Miami Heat eliminated them in a five-game upset in the conference semifinals. This season was also Kyle Korver's last in the NBA as he spent the entire 2020-21 season as a free agent and subsequently retired on August 12, 2021 for family reasons. The 51st pick in the 2003 draft, Korver's retirement left LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Udonis Haslem as the only remaining active players from the early 2000s.
| Round | Pick | Player | Position(s) | Nationality | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 | Kevin Porter Jr. | Shooting Guard |  United States |
USC |
The Bucks only held a first-round pick. That pick would then be traded to the Detroit Pistons, which would again be transferred to the Cleveland Cavaliers.[6]
| 2019–20 Milwaukee Bucks roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Division
| Central Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| z – Milwaukee Bucks | 56 | 17 | .767 | – | 30–5 | 26–12 | 13–1 | 73 |
| x – Indiana Pacers | 45 | 28 | .616 | 11.0 | 25–11 | 20–17 | 8–7 | 73 |
| Chicago Bulls | 22 | 43 | .338 | 30.0 | 14–20 | 8–23 | 7–9 | 65 |
| Detroit Pistons | 20 | 46 | .303 | 32.5 | 11–22 | 9–24 | 5–10 | 66 |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | 19 | 46 | .292 | 33.0 | 11–25 | 8–21 | 4–10 | 65 |
Conference
| Eastern Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | z – Milwaukee Bucks * | 56 | 17 | .767 | – | 73 |
| 2 | y – Toronto Raptors * | 53 | 19 | .736 | 2.5 | 72 |
| 3 | x – Boston Celtics | 48 | 24 | .667 | 7.5 | 72 |
| 4 | x – Indiana Pacers | 45 | 28 | .616 | 11.0 | 73 |
| 5 | y – Miami Heat * | 44 | 29 | .603 | 12.0 | 73 |
| 6 | x – Philadelphia 76ers | 43 | 30 | .589 | 13.0 | 73 |
| 7 | x – Brooklyn Nets | 35 | 37 | .486 | 20.5 | 72 |
| 8 | x – Orlando Magic | 33 | 40 | .452 | 23.0 | 73 |
| 9 | Washington Wizards | 25 | 47 | .347 | 30.5 | 72 |
| 10 | Charlotte Hornets | 23 | 42 | .354 | 29.0 | 65 |
| 11 | Chicago Bulls | 22 | 43 | .338 | 30.0 | 65 |
| 12 | New York Knicks | 21 | 45 | .318 | 31.5 | 66 |
| 13 | Detroit Pistons | 20 | 46 | .303 | 32.5 | 66 |
| 14 | Atlanta Hawks | 20 | 47 | .299 | 33.0 | 67 |
| 15 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 19 | 46 | .292 | 33.0 | 65 |
Preseason
The preseason schedule was announced on July 23, 2019.[7]
| 2019 preseason game log Total: 5–0 (home: 2–0; road: 3–0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason: 5–0 (home: 2–0; road: 3–0)
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| 2019–20 season schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
Playoffs
| 2020 playoff game log Total: 5–5 (home: 2–4; road: 3–1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First Round: 4–1 (home: 2–1; road: 2–0)
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Conference semifinals: 1–4 (home: 0–3; road: 1–1)
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| 2020 playoff schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Overview
| Players Added Via draft Via trade Via free agency |
Players Lost Via trade Via free agency Waived |
Trades
Free agency
Additions
| Player | Signed | Former Team |
|---|---|---|
| Thanasis Antetokounmpo | July 16 | Panathinaikos B.C. |
Subtractions
| Player | Signed | New Team |
|---|---|---|
| Malcolm Brogdon | June 29 | Indiana Pacers |
- "Teams Defense". NBA.com. Retrieved April 29, 2021.
- "NBA to suspend season following Wednesday's games". NBA.com. March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- Reynolds, Tim (March 11, 2020). "NBA suspends season until further notice, over coronavirus". NBA.com. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- "Full 2019 NBA Draft Order". tankathon.com. Archived from the original on May 15, 2019. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
- "Bucks Announce 2019 Preseason Schedule". NBA.com. July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 25, 2019.