The Milwaukee Bucks 2023-24 season is ready to get underway, with early NBA Championship predictions after acquiring Damian Lillard.
The 2021 champions had to include long-term star Jrue Holiday in the Lillard trade with the Portland Trail Blazers. However, overall they have left themselves in an immensely strong position.
The Bucks could be set for a successful season and a number of narratives could make their way into the NBA’s biggest headlines.
The Milwaukee Bucks 2023-24 Could Win Their Third Championship
The Bucks have been top NBA contenders year-on-year in recent times due to the mere presence of Giannis Antetokounmpo in their starting five. But now they have added Lillard to create a superstar duo that has made them comfortable championship favorites.
Preseason tips off in 7️⃣ days #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/Oh0rDioZoY
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) October 2, 2023
The NBA is one of the most popular sporting leagues on the planet, and so there is huge anticipation from all over surrounding the prospect of who could win the championship in 2024.
bet365 offers the Bucks as +350 outright favorites to win the playoffs in 2024. They will be backed by supporters from all over as they have incredibly diverse representation within the squad.
There is a range of sign-up offers available for NBA followers across the world. For example, New Zealand-based fans can take advantage of the bet365 bonus code NZ when betting on the Bucks, or perhaps even a less favored underdog this season.
The Boston Celtics are seen as the Bucks’ strongest competition at +400, and last year’s champions the Denver Nuggets follow closely behind at +450. The Championship is certainly far from clear-cut at this point. But the Bucks will certainly be involved in a genuine pursuit of their third-ever NBA title.
Bobby Portis Sixth Man of the Year
Bobby Portis has been somewhat of a late bloomer in the NBA, but in the last couple of years, he has demonstrated his peak abilities for the Bucks.
Portis is set to be used as the primary man off the bench in the 2023/24 season. He will likely feature in the majority of the fixtures as the man who leads the Milwaukee bench.
EVERY YEAR A PROVE IT YEAR! YEAR 9️⃣ pic.twitter.com/O4z5YLgoQz
— Bobby BP Portis (@BPortistime) October 3, 2023
Portis is a stunning option as he is consistent from three-point range and he is also comfortable when it comes to scoring in the paint. Overall he averaged 14.1 points per game last season and recorded a three-point percentage of 37%.
He is also a solid asset on defense and will be vital when it comes to defending underneath the rim for the Bucks. Last campaign, he averaged 9.6 rebounds a game – a similar return could be game-changing for Milwaukee off the bench this season.
If Portis can again be an all-round threat from the sixth-man role for the Bucks, then he should be one of the leading candidates to earn the prestigious Sixth Man of the Year Award which was claimed by Malcolm Brogdon last season.
Lillard and Kris Middleton could win together again
The newcomer Lillard and veteran Kris Middleton are of course to link up in the starting five for Milwaukee. The pair have already enjoyed historical success together in the Olympic Games of 2020 in which both helped the United States of America to achieve a gold medal finish.
If the pair were to go on to lead the Bucks to NBA glory then they would secure a rare feat in collaboration. Few duos throughout history can claim to have won at the national level and in the NBA alongside each other.
The Milwaukee Bucks 2023-24 team is a must-watch this season. The prospect of Lillard and Giannis teaming up is incredibly exciting, and that does not even consider the wealth of talent in the remainder of the Bucks ranks.
Whether everything goes to plan, or the stars struggle to gel together, there are inevitably huge headlines to be born in Milwaukee over the newest NBA season.
