Not only did the Milwaukee Bucks convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to remain with the team — at least for the time being — but they also added a second superstar on their roster this summer in the form of Damian Lillard.
This is why it comes as no surprise that the Bucks are considered one of the favorites to win it all this season. At the same time, though, Milwaukee supporters might be a bit concerned that their team has had to settle for third-favorite in the NBA’s annual GM survey.
Milwaukee Bucks Have Third-Best Odds to Win 2023-24 Championship
Not even the fact that the Bucks made what is considered by most as the most massive trade of the summer by acquiring Lillard was enough to bolster Milwaukee’s place as title favorites. However, with 23% of surveyed general managers believing that it’s the Bucks who will go all the way this year, you can’t really say that the odds are stacked against them.
There’s obviously going to be a lot of external pressure on this team to win another chip this coming season, but there’s no denying that the internal pressure is also going to be substantial. This is after Giannis himself called on the front office to equip him with a more formidable set of weapons in his quest for another title. Damian Lillard definitely fits that mold, and Milwaukee’s brass will want Antetokounmpo to deliver now that they’ve answered his call.
Interestingly enough, the Bucks were the favorites to go and win the championship in last year’s iteration of this survey. They got 43% of the votes from league execs, but we all know how that turned out.
Nuggets, Celtics Reign Supreme
You could say that Milwaukee’s significant drop as title favorites this coming season has more to do with the opposition than what’s actually going on with the Bucks.
According to the GMs around the NBA, the Denver Nuggets are still the favorites to go back-to-back with 33% of the votes going in their favor. Nikola Jokic and Co. were an utterly dominant force throughout the 2022-23 campaign, and they’re expected to do it all over again this year.
Tying Denver with 33% of the votes as well are the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately for Milwaukee, they may have inadvertently and indirectly helped their biggest competitor in the East become an even more formidable threat now that former Bucks star and fan-favorite Jrue Holiday has taken his talents to Bean Town.
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