[1] With 49 wins and 33 losses they won their division and ranked fourth in the Western Conference.
In the 1979 NBA draft, the Bucks drafted guard Sidney Moncrief out of the University of Arkansas.
During the season, the Bucks acquired center Bob Lanier from the Detroit Pistons.
After a first-round-bye the Bucks faced the defending champions, the Seattle SuperSonics, which were led by Gus Williams and Dennis Johnson.
The 1979–80 season would be the Bucks last season as a Western Conference team as they switched to the Eastern Conference along with the Chicago Bulls.