The Milwaukee Bucks are still viewed as one of the top teams in the NBA by many people despite the first-round disappointment a season ago. The Athletic released their preseason power rankings for the upcoming 2023-2024 NBA regular season, and they have the Milwaukee Bucks ranked as the second-best team in the NBA, right behind the Denver Nuggets.
Milwaukee Bucks Ranked No. 2 In The Athletic’s Preseason Poll
Many believed that it was going to be a collision course between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals last season. Denver won the 2022-2023 NBA Championship last season against the Miami Heat in five games. The Nuggets went 16-3 overall, and it was one of the best runs in NBA playoff history.
One of the main reasons why the Milwaukee Bucks are ranked so high in the power rankings is because of Giannis Antetokounmpo. He is one of the top players in the NBA alongside Nikola Jokic. European players are taking over the NBA, and they are the best players in the league currently.
Zach Harper of The Athletic wrote this interesting quote about Milwaukee:
“It’s hard to predict where the coaching change from Budenholzer to Griffin is going to land the Bucks. They were a title-contending team with Budenholzer, and the organization is hoping Griffin can avoid playoff collapses. But the change itself probably won’t alter this team’s ceiling much, as they won a title with Bud.”
This is true because they just won the championship two years ago, in 2021, against the Phoenix Suns after trailing 0-2 in that series. The Milwaukee Bucks hope to win another championship, but this time, it will be with Adrian Griffin.
Why won’t they win it again in the Giannis Antetokounmpo era?
Aging Core Remains a Concern
One of the main reasons why the Milwaukee Bucks will not win another title is not because of coaching. It’s because the personnel on the roster is not particularly young. This is why it is surprising that the Bucks are ranked second in the league in The Athletic power rankings, to begin with.
Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday are all over 30 years old. If there is an injury to one of those players or even Giannis Antetokoumnpo, they will not be title contenders. This leaves some to predict that the Boston Celtics will win the east over Milwaukee.
The Bucks don’t have enough young bodies on the roster, and it is going to catch up with them at some point. Being second on the list as a championship contender behind the defending champs is the ultimate cap tip to Giannis.
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