The Baltimore Ravens suffered a shocking loss Saturday night against the Tennessee Titans, losing 28-12. They had the best record in the NFL, and had the presumed MVP in Lamar Jackson. The Milwaukee Bucks can empathize with the Ravens, as they know this scenario all too well.
Last season, the Bucks lost to the Toronto Raptors in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, after terrorizing the league with a 60-22 record, the best in the NBA. Giannis Antetokounmpo won the NBA's MVP award, but it didn’t matter in the end as Milwaukee fell short of its goal of winning a championship.
Bucks forward Khris Middleton understands now more than ever that a great regular season doesn’t translate to playoff success. The Bucks were favored last year due to their regular season success, but collapsed in the playoffs.
Currently, the Bucks are sitting at 35-6. If they keep up with this pace, they can break 70 wins. However, Middleton isn’t getting caught up. Speaking with The Athletic’s Eric Nehm, Middleton stressed the importance of differentiating between the regular season and the postseason.
Despite having fun on the way to the locker room, Middleton got serious with the media while his teammates continued to crack jokes in the locker room. When asked about what he thought of his team, 35-6 at the season’s halfway point and on pace for 70 wins, he talked about the truth about the victory.
“You don’t win a championship in the regular season,” Middleton said. “It’s a long season. We’ve got a long way to go.”
While the Bucks' start is impressive, it’s great to see that Middleton isn’t satisfied with winning a lot of games in the regular season. Losses can turn into further collapses or lessons learned. It’s easy to see which route Middleton and the Bucks are taking.
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