It's been a quiet summer for the Milwaukee Bucks. Taurean Prince, Gary Trent Jr. and Delon Wright are the only additions to head coach Doc Rivers' team. The front office is banking on the team's core to bounce back after a difficult season.
Still, there's no escaping that Milwaukee has been eliminated in the opening round of the playoffs for the past two seasons. Adding Damian Lillard last summer did little to alter the franchise's fortunes.
As we enter the 2024-25 campaign, the Bucks must accept that their biggest flaw is an aging roster. Brook Lopez is 36 and clearly showed signs of decline last season. Khris Middleton is 33 and has been hampered by injuries that appear to have sapped some of the burst from his first step.
Even Lillard, Milwaukee's All-Star guard, is 34 and on the wrong side of his prime years. The front office has hitched its wagon to a string of aging talents, leading to a disjointed rotation designed to get the best out of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
When healthy, the Bucks are a championship contender. The duo of Giannis and Lillard ensures they must be taken seriously. As a pick-and-roll tandem, there aren't many better offensive two-man games in the NBA.
Here's a look at how the Bucks top duo looks in some of our key metrics pic.twitter.com/nGS0qrnXHs
— BBall Index (@The_BBall_Index) October 9, 2024
Giannis and Lillard can't win a championship on their own, though. Milwaukee has added a valuable perimeter threat to Trent Jr., while Prince can provide some two-way production.
Milwaukee must get some high-level production from Lopez, Middleton and the rest of the roster if the team has any chance of success. Lopez has been the bedrock of the team's defensive structure. At the same time, Middleton has been the release valve that punishes teams when they collapse on a Giannis' drive. Both players are integral to a potential championship run.
You can't beat the aging process. All you can do is adjust and adapt. If the Bucks have another early postseason exit, the front office will likely enter a rebuilding phase. This is a make-or-break season for Milwaukee and, in turn, for the Giannis and Lillard partnership.