The Milwaukee Bucks should be the best team in the NBA Central division entering the 2023-2024 season. Right behind them, the Cleveland Cavaliers will look to prove that last season was no fluke and they are here for the long haul. Cleveland could be the biggest threat to Milwaukee’s division title hopes.
As for the Chicago Bulls, the Detroit Pistons, and the Indiana Pacers, they are looking to be better than they were a season ago with a lot of questions to answer. A couple of days ago in the Athletic, they previewed the Central Division for the upcoming 2023-2024 NBA season.
In the article, one of the questions that was asked was “Which offseason move has the strongest potential to backfire?” Josh Robbins, a senior writer for the Washington Wizards of the Athletic, said this:
“I don’t disagree with the Bucks decision to move on from Mike Budenholzer and replace him with Adrian Griffin, but I also think Budenholzer was a convenient scapegoat for Milwaukee’s first-round exit. For those who say Budenholzer’s 271-120 regular season record in five Bucks seasons is predicated primarly on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s greatness-well, that’s correct. But if we acknowledge that fundamental truth, doesn’t it also follow that Milwaukee probably would’ve beaten Miami in the first round if Giannis hadn’t gotten hurt in Game 1’s first half and then missed Game 2 and Game 3?
That is an interesting statement made by Robbins. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the primary player on this basketball team and yes injuries do happen, but it is also a part of the game and bad luck for the Milwaukee Bucks. It will be interesting to see what Adrian Griffin Jr. does differently this season than Mike Budenholzer though.
Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Adrian Griffin Jr. Has the Most to Prove This Season
Milwaukee Bucks head coach A.J. Griffin Jr. will have a lot to prove this season after Mike Budenholzer was fired. In the Athletic article, another question that was asked was: “Heading into the season, which Central player, coach, or executive has the most to prove?”
Darnell Mayberry, a senior writer for the Chicago Bulls at the Athletic, said as follows:
“Put me down for Griffin in Milwaukee. He has earned a head-coaching opportunity after serving 15 years as an NBA assistant. But when your first head coaching job is with a championship-ready roster, you’re being dropped into a pressure cooker. Griffin’s hiring reminds me of Donovan’s in Oklahoma City in 2015. Donovan a first-year NBA head coach tasked with successfully steering what would be Kevin Durant’s final season with the Thunder. When OKC fell short in the Western Conference finals, Durant bolted for Golden State. A more recent example would be Steve Nash landing the Brooklyn Nets job in 2020 despite never having been a head coach or even an assistant. He lasted two seasons. A lot of pressure is on Griffin not just getting it right in Milwaukee but also winning it all.”
This league is about championship or bust. The Milwaukee Bucks are one of the favorites to win it all this season. In order to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo happy, they will need to win another NBA Title. The Central Division Standings predictions for this season will be the Milwaukee Bucks in first place, the Cleveland Cavaliers in second place, the Indiana Pacers in third place, the Chicago Bulls in fourth place, and the Detroit Pistons in fifth place.
