After an abysmal start to the season, the Milwaukee Bucks have found a stride in the 2024-25 NBA season. Led by MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo and Top 75 player of all time Damian Lillard, the Bucks are trying to become championship contenders once again.
Fresh off an NBA Cup victory, Milwaukee is looking to hoist another kind of trophy later in the season. They looked very dominant versus a great Oklahoma City Thunder team in the cup final. Giannis posted a freaky triple double of 26 points, 19 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Bucks started out 2-8 in their first ten games, which raised many questions about the team’s ability to be a contender. After losing six games in a row in that stretch, Milwaukee knew they had to turn things around swiftly.
Why Haven’t They Won It All Again?
Milwaukee won the NBA Finals back in 2021 versus the Phoenix Suns, and they seemed to be championship caliber for years to come. Unfortunately, they haven’t been back to the biggest stage since.
A huge factor in the last couple years was the injury curse. Constant injuries to Khris Middleton and Giannis have plagued Milwaukee’s chances of capturing the Larry O’Brien Trophy again. Even in the early playoff loss to Indiana last year, Damian Lillard also suffered an injury that sidelined him in a pivotal game 4.
Pretender or Contender?
Antetokounmpo hinted at the Bucks getting back to the NBA Finals by saying a bold claim after their NBA Cup victory.
“Oh man, what a feeling,” he said. “What a great feeling. I’ll see you guys again, I promise.”
After a scorching-hot resurgence to the season, Milwaukee may just end up being seen again. The duo of Giannis and Dame are one of the scariest in the association. The only teams in their way are the Knicks, Cavs and reigning champion Celtics. They match up well enough with these teams to make a serious run in the postseason.
Many will consider the Bucks a pretender due to the injury history and their notoriously failed coach Doc Rivers. Rivers has had a negative track record since his last championship in 2008. He has not reached a conference finals since 2012. Maybe winning the NBA Cup will give him the confidence to chase another title, but on the actual biggest stage.
The Milwaukee Bucks sit at fifth in a tight Eastern Conference. This is an insane feat due to being in fourteenth place after the first ten games of the season. It’s simple; Milwaukee has a group of players that can contend for a championship.
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