The Milwaukee Bucks failed to advance in the 2023-24 NBA season due to a variety of issues, including a first-round loss to the Indiana Pacers.
This offseason, the front office has been very busy retooling their roster, and no more transactions appear to be in the works. However, given what occurred in Wisconsin last season with the Damian Lillard deal, anything can happen.
Damian Lillard has now had a complete offseason in Milwaukee, while Giannis Antetokounmpo has returned from injury to compete in the Olympics, hoping to be back to his best. This is a crucial season for the Bucks, who gave up a lot to bring in Lillard and made the coaching move to hire Doc Rivers last season.
It will also be significant for general manager Jon Horst, since he has made moves to try to assemble a title roster, and now is the time to put them into action.
The changes made by other Eastern Conference rivals will make the Bucks’ upcoming season more difficult. We know the Bucks have brought in some high-quality free agents in Gary Trent Jr., Taurean Prince, and Delon Wright, but the New York Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers have made significant additions, and the Boston Celtics aren’t going away.
The Cleveland Cavaliers cannot be written off, either, as they advanced to the second round of the playoffs and changed coaches, with former Bucks target Kenny Atkinson taking over. Indiana is a youthful squad that will only get better. The same goes for the Orlando Magic, who made great additions this offseason.
Let’s discuss Bucks; last season didn’t go as planned, and there was a lot of unhappiness in the locker room under Adrian Griffin, despite a 30-13 start. Roster changes were implemented, and the defense improved marginally. Injuries at the conclusion of the season caused the Bucks to depart the playoffs early, but this season, it feels like the media and people in general have forgotten how good Milwaukee and Giannis Antetokounmpo can be.
Now, we’re going to look at three critical aspects that will make or break the Milwaukee Bucks in 2024-25.
