NBA news: One of the biggest upsets in the recently concluded NBA Playoffs was Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat taking out the No. 1 seed Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round out East. Miami went all the way to the NBA Finals behind Butler’s heroics, where unfortunately for them, they came up short against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.
For their part, the Bucks saw their season come to a bitterly disappointing end, prompting a critical summer of retooling and preparing for what they hope will be a bounceback campaign.
NBA News: Kendrick Perkins All In On Bucks For 2023-24
If you ask ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins, he has no doubt in his mind that the Bucks are going to be the favorites in the East this coming season. Big Perk made it abundantly clear that he holds the reigning East champs in very high regard, but at the same time, he knows what Milwaukee brings to the table:
“I will not come on here and disrespect the Heat, Coach Erik Spoelstra, and Jimmy Butler,” Perkins said. “But I will say this: they are not the favorites, nor would I have them the favorite even if they picked up Damian Lillard. … I have everything invested into the Milwaukee Bucks this upcoming season as far as representing the Eastern Conference. I don’t want to disrespect the Miami Heat, but even if they get Damian Lillard and they were to face this Milwaukee Bucks team again, I’m picking Milwaukee in the series. I’m picking Milwaukee to go on to the NBA Finals to represent the East.”
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Perkins pointed out that Giannis Antetokounmpo’s injury played a key role in the Heat series, and that even when he returned, he was far from 100% healthy. It seems like Giannis will skip the upcoming FIBA World Cup tournament for Greece in August, giving him even more time to recuperate ahead of the new season. With a healthy Giannis leading the charge for the Bucks, Big Perk is adamant that it’s the Bucks who are headed to the NBA Finals this coming season.
NBA News: Revenge SZN For Bucks
Apart from Giannis, Khris Middleton also wasn’t at full strength last season. He missed a significant chunk of the regular season, and when he returned, he just wasn’t himself. However, now that his contract extension is out of the way and he’s had a full offseason of rest, the three-time All-Star should be good to go to start 2023-24.
As Perkins said, you need a bit of luck to win it all in the NBA. You also have to be extremely motivated to do so. This is an area where the Bucks will have no shortage as they look to avenge their embarrassing first-round exit last season. Revenge season is real for Giannis and Co.
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