Playoffs Hardly a Lock for Milwaukee

The Bucks hold a four game lead over the 9th place Chicago Bulls in the race to earn an Eastern Conference playoff spot. With only 12 games to play, that lead looks pretty solid, doesn't it? Not exactly and here's why.

During calendar year 2006 the Milwaukee Bucks are 2-15 against teams that currently hold winning records. The two victories came over the Memphis Grizzlies at the Bradley Center and George Karl's Denver Nuggets in Denver. This is ominous for Bucks fans.

Of the 12 games remaining on the schedule, 9 are against teams with winning records, including two against Detroit, and one each against the Phoenix Suns, the Miami Heat and the red hot New Jersey Nets. Things could get very ugly. If 2006 trends continue, the Bucks can be expected to lose 8 of those games. That 4 game lead suddenly doesn't look so secure.

And I wouldn't necessarily count on the Bulls to fold up their tents and allow the Bucks to back in. I watched them pull out an impressive victory yesterday over the Boston Celtics in the Boston Garden. They didn't look like a team that was giving up.

The bottom line is the Bucks will have to earn their way into the 2006 NBA play-offs. They will have to prove they belong by garnering victories over good teams. It won't be easy, but the team has to understand that when it comes to earning a playoff berth, failure is not an option.