After shaking up their roster with the blockbuster Damian Lillard trade last fall and making two head coaching changes in less than a year, the Bucks are confident that a 2024 offseason defined by continuity will put them in a better position to contend for a championship in 2024/25, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN.
Zach Lowe of ESPN is unconvinced, however, stating on Thursday’s episode of NBA Today (YouTube link) that “the questions outweigh the answers” in Milwaukee.
As Lowe outlines, Lillard turned 34 this summer and “rarely looked comfortable” last season, Khris Middleton has dealt with injuries the last couple seasons and underwent multiple ankle surgeries over the offseason, and defensive anchor Brook Lopez will turn 37 in the spring.
“This team is getting older and less athletic around Giannis (Antetokounmpo),” Lowe said. “They don’t have a lot of young guys in the pipeline. This is a right-now team that went 17-19 under Doc Rivers before the Giannis injury took them out of the playoffs. They just never found their footing, and they’ve got to find it fast in an Eastern Conference that has gotten better top to bottom in the playoff race.”
Here’s more from around the Central:
- Eric Nehm of The Athletic answers a series of Bucks-related questions in a mailbag, discussing the Antetokounmpo/Lillard pick-and-roll, expectations for the 2024/25 season, and the development (or lack thereof) of some of the team’s young players.
- A feature on Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf from MLB writers Brittany Ghiroli and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic focuses primarily on the disastrous season that Reinsdorf’s other team – the Chicago White Sox – has endured in 2024. However, the story includes a couple notes on the Bulls, including the claim that Reinsdorf has told employees the White Sox winning is more important to him than the Bulls winning. According to Ghiroli and Rosenthal, the 88-year-old Reinsdorf has also said he’d advise his family to sell the White Sox but hang onto the Bulls after his death.
- Can No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland earn a regular rotation spot for the Pistons as a rookie? Keith Langlois of Pistons.com explores that question, observing that it would help the 19-year-old’s case for minutes if he can develop a more reliable outside shot. As Langlois writes, Holland figures to work closely with new assistant coach Fred Vinson, who is considered one of the league’s best shooting instructors.
Man, i hope jerry’s family sell the bulls and keep the sox
As a Celtics fan I think it is foolish to discount the Bucks as contenders this year. If the Freak and Lillard are healthy come playoff time they are dangerous.
their only achilles heel is Doc!
Not at all, Doc has the 8th most wins in NBA history and should pass Phil Jackson for 7th this season.
I have to disagree Chucktoad. You could easily make the argument that no “great” coach has ever done less with the amount of talent he’s had around him.
He’s been extremely mediocre in the playoffs, and, outside of Boston, every job he’s had he’s consistently fell short of expectations…
Doc has proven multiple times he isn’t the coach to get a team over the top.
Their only Achilles heel are literally their achilles heals
I’m with Lowe, honestly. Brook looks slower and less potent every game, Middleton hasn’t been healthy for three years, and aside from Portis they don’t have much of a bench. Lillard and Giannis meshing would be great, but you can’t count on Giannis having another career-best scoring season or Lillard reaching his prior heights since he’s no longer the #1 option. And the defense is still more holes than substance 1 through 3. Continuity is good if you have depth and defense. The Bucks have neither, and the coaching continuity is in question since A) they played under .500 with Doc, and B) it’s Doc, who can’t make adjustments.
Reinsdorf is right NBA is growing exponentially Selling the bulls would be giving away money, the white sox and MLB are not on the same trajectory
Except that the stadium deal Jerry has, where the taxpayers indemnify all risk and take none of the revenues, while paying all maintenance on the property, is hard to beat if you want a low cost revenue stream with no need to put a competitive product on the field. It’s the lazy, moneygrubbing owner’s dream!
I feel like the makers of ambien should purchase the mlb outright seeing as it’s their main competition for putting people to sleep
So what’s the odds on Doc getting fired before the trade deadline?
I’d guess pretty low. They can still use the “Dame and Giannis haven’t really had enough time to gel yet” excuse, and they can always fire the GM and use the “he effed up the salary situation and we couldn’t improve the team enough” excuse.
I guess it is the GMs turn…