On a March evening in 1975, a shocking report surfaced stating that the Milwaukee Bucks’ all-time leading scorer, an NBA champion and three-time MVP, had requested a trade. Broadcaster Marv Albert broke the news before Kareem Abdul-Jabbar confirmed the request to the media.
“I have no unkind feelings toward the people of Milwaukee or Wisconsin,” said Abdul-Jabbar. “But my family and friends aren’t here and culturally what I’m into does not exist here.”
Almost fifty years later in the fall of 2023, the Bucks’ new all-time leading scorer, NBA champion and two-time MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, joined Ross Geiger on his 48 Minutes podcast.
“I want to win another championship,” said Antetokounmpo. “As long as we [the Milwaukee Bucks] are in for a championship… as long as everybody sacrifices… to win a championship, we are all good.”
Antetokounmpo added, “But the moment I feel like people are not as committed as I am to get that [championship], I am not.”
Three months after Kareem made his bold request, the Bucks dealt the superstar to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Bucks went 45 years before winning another title.
One month after Giannis made his public proclamation, the Bucks reversed course, acquiring superstar Damian Lillard to pair with Antetokounmpo. The Bucks hoped to convince Giannis to stay in Milwaukee by making the splash of the offseason, bringing in the former six-time All-Star. The pairing forms one of the most lethal duos in the NBA.
A New Guard Pairing with Giannis
The acquisition of Damian Lillard brings a sure upgrade to the Milwaukee Bucks’ roster, but the loss of Jrue Holiday could be an obstacle on the defensive end.
Lillard brings superstar talent to the point guard position, particularly on the offensive side. His lethal shooting ability will force defenders to compromise down low against Giannis should they prioritize shutting down Lillard from outside. The constant threat of pick-and-roll provides a world of opportunities for the Bucks’ offense.
Despite the offensive upgrade with Lillard, the loss of Jrue Holiday on the defensive end must be addressed. The championship-winning point guard was dealt to Boston, by way of Portland, as part of the package that brought Lillard to Milwaukee.
Holiday received votes for Defensive Player of the Year last year but struggled to produce offensively, particularly in the postseason. Holiday shot just 38.4% from the field over the past two postseason runs. However, he holds a reputation around the league as one of its best defensive players.
New Year, New Coach
The Bucks’ offseason began with a difficult decision on what to do with Coach Mike Budenholzer, the coach at the helm for their first title in 50 years. The Bucks ultimately chose to part ways with Budenholzer, a coach renowned for his regular season success but regularly criticized for his postseason management.
Tasked with leading the Milwaukee Bucks to their third championship is first-year head coach Adrian Griffin. There is precedent for a first-year championship head coach – three other active coaches won a title in their first year – Steve Kerr, Tyronn Lue and Nick Nurse.
The hiring brings his coaching career full circle, as he returns to Milwaukee 15 years after his initial arrival. Acquired as a player in a 2008 trade, Griffin pivoted to an assistant coach role under Scott Skiles shortly after joining the Bucks.
His coaching career included stops in Chicago, Orlando, Oklahoma City, and Toronto, the last of which he won a championship assisting Nurse.
A talented skillset, particularly on the defensive end, will be accompanied by sky-high expectations. One year of underperformance could spell the end of his tenure in Milwaukee, though a championship is well within his reach.
Adding Around the Margins
The acquisition of Lillard is one of the biggest headlines of the year, but additions around the margin could play a big role in the Bucks’ quest for a second championship in four years.
The Bucks added a pair of veteran guards over the summer in Malik Beasley and Cameron Payne. Beasley figures to join the starting lineup in place of the recently traded Grayson Allen. He averaged nearly 13 points per game (PPG) in a bench role with the Jazz and Lakers last season.
Payne arrives after a four-year stint in Phoenix. He averaged 10 PPG in 106 games over the past two seasons. Payne assumes the role vacated by another former Sun, Jevon Carter, who signed with the Chicago Bulls.
A familiar face on the Bucks’ bench is Robin Lopez, who returns to Milwaukee after stops in Washington, Orlando and Cleveland. He appeared in 66 games with the Bucks during the 2019-20 season, serving as the primary backup to his twin brother.
Perhaps the most underrated transaction of the offseason was the draft night deal with Orlando where the Bucks acquired the rights to Andre Jackson Jr. The former UConn standout brings little on the offensive end but confirmed his reputation as an elite defender during the preseason.
Other departures include Joe Ingles and Wesley Matthews, who signed with Orlando and Atlanta, respectively.
Health of Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez
Health is always a storyline, especially for a team that was the oldest in the NBA a year ago. The Bucks elected against seeking a new youth movement, investing significantly into three players on the wrong side of 30. Lillard, 33, was acquired after the club spent a combined $141 million on the 32-year-old Khris Middleton and 35-year-old Brook Lopez. The trio have missed a combined 174 games over the past two seasons.
Lillard missed time with a calf injury for parts of the past two seasons. Middleton’s shaky defense was exposed last postseason, his struggles primarily attributed to his ailing knee. Lopez stayed healthy last year but questions remain about the durability of the aging 7-footer, especially given his previous back troubles.
If the starting five are at the top of their health, they could be the best in the league. An injury-ravaged roster could stand in the way of defeating Boston or Denver.
Championship or Bust?
Giannis took the Twitter world by storm last spring when he provided a unique perspective to success and failure in basketball.
“Some days it’s your turn, some days it’s not your turn. And that’s what sports are about,” Giannis said in his press conference following their first-round loss to Miami. “You don’t always win. Some other team is going to win. And this year someone else is going to win.”
The Bucks hope the 2023-24 will be their season. Championship expectations have been high for years, but this season brings a renewed hope of a second title in four years. Anything short of a championship may be considered a bust, a failure of a season.
Less than a month after the blockbuster trade with Portland, the Bucks officially convinced Giannis that everybody was working for a championship as much as him. On Monday he announced he was staying for three more years, signing an extension worth $186 million.
One day, his #34 will hang in the rafters beside the franchise’s other icon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. But between now and then, Giannis looks to become the first player to bring two championships to Milwaukee. The journey may not be completed until next June, but the quest begins Thursday night at the Fiserv Forum when the season kicks off against Philadelphia.
Header photo: The ed17, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons