The Milwaukee Bucks will enter the 2024-25 NBA season as realistic championship contenders for the sixth consecutive season, excluding the 2021 triumph. However, it has also been plagued with disappointment, including two consecutive first-round exits in the last two years.
Doc River is hosting his first training camp as Bucks head coach, and all-star point guard Damian Lillard has completed an entire season, so there is reason to believe this team is poised to make their deepest title run since that championship summer.
In order to upset the Boston Celtics, the defending Eastern Conference champions, the squad has to find answers to the following important questions: Is Doc Rivers able to unlock Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo?
One could argue that the Bucks hired Doc Rivers, one of the NBA’s most successful coaches, solely to get the best out of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Adrian Griffin was fired after 43 games, and Rivers immediately began working to make the two stars more comfortable with each other.
The Bucks exhibited glimpses of their potential late in the season. However, a shortage of practice time and an injury restricted what could be done. Now that the two guys have had a season of playing together, a summer to communicate, and a full camp under Rivers, the expectation is that they will go right to work.
It is not all on Rivers, Giannis Antetokounmpo must commit to more screening, properly making a move off a bounce pass, and refining his short roll skills. Damian Lillard will need to help Antetokounmpo get closer to his preferred places and establish a rhythm with lob passes. However, Rivers may adjust the minutes and lineups to best fit the tandem and get them clicking.
Is Jon Horst’s team good enough?
The Bucks have been competitive every summer, thanks in large part to their core four of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Damian Lillard. Bobby Portis has emerged as a consistent Sixth Man of the Year candidate, while Pat Connaughton has been an excellent backup. However, injuries to some of those stars over the last three seasons have shown shortcomings in roster design, particularly the reliance on older veterans in free agency.
Only two of the dozen NBA veterans aged 31 and older signed since 2021 have secured another full-year contract after previously playing for the Bucks: Wesley Matthews and Joe Ingles. Younger veterans signed by the organization, such as Rodney Hood, Semi Ojeleye, and DeAndre Bembry, never played in the league after joining the Bucks
Of course, time will tell how the new trio fits into Rivers’ rotations, but the Bucks must perform well if they are to return to the conference finals. Can star players for the Bucks stay healthy?
This is a yes-or-no question that can only be answered at the end of the season, but it is unfortunately the most pressing issue confronting this team.
Since winning the championship (during which the team lost starting shooting guard Donte DiVincenzo in the playoffs and Antetokounmpo for two games in the Eastern Conference finals), the team’s studs have been plagued by injuries:
Brook Lopez underwent back surgery in 2021-22, forcing him to miss 69 regular season games. Though he returned for the playoffs, it was evident that the rust had not completely worn off (21% from behind the three-point line, 49% shooting). Middleton slipped on a damp patch in the first round and damaged his knee, forcing him out of the second-round series against Boston.
In 2022-23, Giannis Antetokounmpo had a back injury after being undercut by Miami’s Kevin Love. He was unable to play in Games 1, 2, and 3, and was severely limited in Games 4 and 5. Middleton played all five games but was crippled enough to require knee surgery after the season. Wesley Matthews also missed three games due to a calf ailment.
In 2023-24, Giannis Antetokounmpo missed all six games against Indiana due to a calf strain, while Lillard missed two games and was hindered in Game 6 with a strained Achilles. And, while Middleton had a fantastic series, he required multiple ankle surgery following the playoffs after stepping on the opponent’s feet.
Can the Milwaukee Bucks challenge the Boston Celtics in the East?
The simple answer is yes. Milwaukee matches up nicely with Boston, despite the fact that the Celtics’ standout combo of Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum are younger.
First and foremost, the Celtics have no answer for Antetokounmpo. In fact, the last time we saw Antetokounmpo healthy in a series, he gave in one of the best playoffs performances of all time in 2022—and Boston had Marcus Smart, Grant Williams, and Robert Williams to hold him down with Al Horford. If Antetokounmpo is at full strength, the Celtics will have nothing for him.
On a bigger level, the Celtics are unlikely to repeat, as no team has won consecutive championships since the Golden State Warriors in 2017-18. Drilling down to Boston, Tatum, Holiday, and Derrick White all joined Team USA for an Olympic run following the season. Kristaps Porzingis had foot surgery in late June and will miss a significant start to the year. Al Horford is 38 years old. The Celtics will most certainly be very good again, but they have a difficult route to a repeat chance—not to mention having to hurdle the Bucks.
Will Doc Rivers play the younger players?
AJ Green became a rotation player under Rivers, playing approximately 15 minutes each game at the end of the season. Andre Jackson Jr. played less under Rivers than he did under Griffin, but the guard has defensive and playmaking ability (as well as athleticism) that the team may deploy in certain situations.
MarJon Beauchamp is entering his third year, so you might believe he’s ready to earn more major time. Chris Livingston told the Journal Sentinel that he hopes to gain a few more minutes this season as a second-year player but recognizes that opportunities on a senior squad will be limited. Rookies AJ Johnson and Tyler Smith are certainly developing players at this point.
The team’s expectation and goal is to win the championship this year. That’s Rivers’ responsibility. Perhaps combinations of the young players can help the Bucks win regular-season games and advance to a higher seed, but when it comes to the playoffs, it appears that the emphasis will—and should—be on the veterans.
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