5-Step Plan for Milwaukee Bucks to Return to the Playoffs in 2015-16

A great recipe doesn't always have to contain a lot of ingredients for the end results to be good. For the Milwaukee Bucks, returning to the playoffs in 2015-16 isn't going to take an extraordinary concoction. With a few small adjustments, good health and an acquisition or two, this team will be in better position a year from now.

There are the obvious things, like getting Jabari Parker healthy, and then there are the little things that make a big difference, like moving on offense. While those are certainly important items, the Bucks need a concrete plan and something they can realistically execute over the summer.

Just what might that plan look like?

Here is a five-step plan to help the Bucks build off this season's success and return to the playoffs a year from now.

5. Staying Healthy

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It's easier said than done, but the Bucks must get healthy and remain healthy in order to make a second straight trip to the postseason in 2015-16.

Injuries plagued the team throughout 2014-15, claiming victims like Parker, Ersan Ilyasova and John Henson along the way. With that kind of talent being sidelined, it was difficult for the Bucks to get into a rhythm and develop cohesiveness.

Parker appeared in just 25 games before tearing his ACL, Ilyasova missed time due to a nasal fracture and Henson was sidelined with a foot injury for a stretch. Additionally, O.J. Mayo was bothered by a nagging hamstring injury and Jared Dudley was forced to sit out a number of games.

As a result, the Bucks were rarely at full strength this season.

Fortunately, they were able to battle through those injuries and find themselves in the postseason regardless. That in itself is a testament to how much chemistry they had formed over a short period of time. If they can avoid the injury bug next season and the key contributors can remain on the floor, there's no reason to believe they can't solidify themselves as a unit.

Despite the Eastern Conference not being as strong overall as the West, there isn't a lot of room for error. However, if the Bucks can stay healthy, they'll be one step closer to returning to the playoffs.

4. Acquiring Shooters

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Parker, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Michael Carter-Williams all need room to operate, and one way to accomplish that is by making sure they are surrounded by a solid core of shooters.

The numbers seem to indicate that three-point shooting was a strong spot for the Bucks this past season, but that only tells half the story.

For the year, they connected on 36.3 percent of the threes they took, which was good enough to rank seventh in the league. However, after the All-Star break, they only knocked down 5.7 of the 17.1 threes they took per game, equivalent to 33.3 percent.

And while the consistency clearly wasn't there, that's not all that surprising. 

Outside of Jared Dudley, the Bucks didn't have a player who could be referred to as a three-point specialist. And even though that role sounds limiting, having those kinds of players are vital to a team's success. Not everyone needs to have a well-rounded game in order to make an impact.

One name that comes to mind is Danny Green of the San Antonio Spurs. He's a set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and made just over $4 million in 2014-15 while shooting 41.8 percent from three-point territory.

Regardless of who it may be, the Bucks must find shooters to round out their rotation. If they don't, they may struggle down the stretch when their shooting inevitably cools off again.

3. Developing an Interior Presence

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As much of a disruption as Larry Sanders was, he was a valuable asset when he was playing up to his potential.

Unfortunately, his attitude got the best of him and the Bucks bought out his contract, leaving a pretty big gap in the middle. After Sanders' departure, Henson and Zaza Pachulia were the only threats the team had in the post, and they weren't particularly consistent.

In order for the Bucks to return to the playoffs, acquiring a big man who can consistently provide them with production will be crucial.

Luckily, the market is ripe for the picking.

Big-name free agents such as DeAndre Jordan and Marc Gasol are both unrestricted free agents and should capture a lot of attention, but the Bucks don't have a realistic shot at acquiring either of them.

That's not just because Milwaukee isn't a top-notch free-agent destination, but because it'd be surprising to see them pay either man the money he will likely be seeking—Gasol made nearly $16 million this season while Jordan hauled in over $11 million.

But there are other targets who would be a good fit.

Enes Kanter is a young big who can step out and shoot the ball, while Tyson Chandler is a savvy veteran who still produces at a high level, averaging a double-double.

Landing a mid-level center in free agency would add the final missing piece to the Milwaukee roster, and center is the only position where obtaining help is an absolute must.

2. Turn Michael Carter-Williams into a Leader

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Step 2 is a large one to take in one offseason, but if the Bucks hope to return to the postseason and have any sort of success, it needs to happen or at least be in progress.

When the Bucks traded Brandon Knight prior to the trade deadline, they weren't just giving up their leading scorer. They were also giving up a player who had emerged as the team's clear-cut leader and someone would hold teammates accountable.

During the offseason and into next year, Carter-Williams must step up and fill that void. 

And it sounds like the former Rookie of the Year is ready to take that leap, per Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:

"

Carter-Williams said he expects to be a leader for the Bucks while also learning from his teammates.

"At the end of the day I am the point guard and I do have some big shoes to fill in Brandon Knight," Carter-Williams said. "He was really a leader on this team.

"Once the guys trust me, I've got to slowly become a leader for this team."

"

Words are great, actions are better.

If Carter-Williams can follow through on developing himself into a leader, this Bucks team will not only make it back to the postseason, but will be a legitimate threat when they get there.

Here's to hoping MCW can step his play up in 2015-16.

1. Spending the Summer Together

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Ultimately, the last—and most important—step for this team is to simply spend an entire summer together without any distractions.

A year ago, the franchise was in the midst of a major overhaul. Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry purchased the franchise from Herb Kohl, and shortly thereafter, Jason Kidd was acquired as the team's coach in a rare trade. With all that occurring, the players certainly didn't have a quiet offseason and instead had to deal with the questions surrounding those events.

Despite all that, the Bucks managed to rally and put together a remarkable turnaround. With the midseason trade of Knight, though, things were shaken up again. And while the team did make the postseason and put up a fight against the Chicago Bulls, the new-look roster simply didn't have enough time to jell.

Assuming there are no unforeseen distractions this summer, the team should be able to quietly go about its business and work on improving the on-court product.

Sometimes, it really is as simple as logging minutes together, whether that's in game action or on the practice floor.