The Milwaukee Bucks will begin their 2023-24 season with a game against the Philadelphia 76ers on Oct. 26.
The Bucks earned a 2-2 record against Philadelphia during the 2022-23 regular season. They opened last season with a 90-88 win over the Sixers on the road behind 21 points and 13 rebounds from forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. In April, they defeated the 76ers in a 117-104 victory at Fiserv Forum. Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 33 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks in the Bucks win. Forward Bobby Portis added 18 points, five rebounds, one steal and one block in 28 minutes off the bench.
Milwaukee ended its 2023 preseason win with a record of 3-2. It split its games against the Memphis Grizzlies while defeating the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls. Antetokounmpo scored 26 points and grabbed seven rebounds during the Bucks' 124-116 preseason win over the Grizzlies on Friday. Guard Damian Lillard added 19 points, four rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes of play. Forward Jae Crowder led Milwaukee with 10 rebounds during his time off the bench.
What are some bold predictions for the Bucks' 2023-24 campaign?
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Damian Lillard will make the All-NBA Second Team
The Bucks made a blockbuster move for Lillard with a three-team trade in September. Lillard, a seven-time All-Star and 11-year veteran with the Portland Trail Blazers, averaged a career-high 32.2 points per game during his final year in Portland. The former Weber State guard scored 28 points and dished five assists during a 127-108 Bucks win over Portland at the Moda Center in February. Antetokounmpo countered with 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists.
“Damian Lillard is an elite player in our league and someone we've long been fans of,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said, via NBA.com. “These opportunities are rare and hard to measure and execute.
“His character, competitiveness, talent and experience complement our group and gives us the best chance to win at the very highest level as we create new memories together.”
Lillard earned a spot on the All-NBA Third Team during the 2022-23 season. He joined New York Knicks forward Julius Randle, Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Kings guard De'Aaron Fox. Lillard made the All-NBA First Team during the 2017-18 season, when the Blazers took third place in the Western Conference with a record of 49-33.
Giannis Antetokounmpo will win the league's MVP
The Bucks agreed to a three-year, $186 million contract extension for Antetokounmpo on Monday. He was a finalist for the NBA's MVP over the previous two seasons. Sixers center Joel Embiid would win the award last season following a year that saw him average 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Antetokounmpo would earn the MVP honors in 2019 and 2020. Former Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer made Antetokounmpo's case for the MVP award following Milwaukee's win over Philadelphia in April.
“We certainly feel like Giannis is the MVP,” Budenholzer said, via The Associated Press. “I think what our team has been able to do — we've still got some more work to have the best record in the league — but best player, best record.
“What he does on both ends of the court — the rebounding the blocked shots, the defense, the guarding on the perimeter — he does everything. Playmakes, attacks, gets to the free-throw line. We feel like he's in the conversation or he should be the guy.”
The Bucks will reach the NBA Finals
The Bucks last reached the NBA Finals in 2021, when they overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Phoenix Suns and win the NBA championship in six games. Milwaukee ended last season with a record of 58-24, putting them one game ahead of the Boston Celtics for first place in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks fell to the Miami Heat in five games in the first round of last season's NBA Playoffs.
Along with the Lillard trade, the Bucks signed guard Malik Beasley to a one-year contract during the offseason. Beasley, a former first-round selection in the 2016 NBA Draft, split time with the Lakers and Utah Jazz during the 2022-23 season. He averaged 12.7 points and 3.5 rebounds during the 81 games he played for the Jazz and the Lakers. Milwaukee added guard Andre Jackson Jr. and forward Chris Livingston via the 2023 NBA Draft. The Bucks will have center Brook Lopez, a member of Milwaukee's championship roster in 2021, under contract for the 2023-24 season, according to sports salaries and contracts website Spotrac.
The Bucks must rely on their All-Star duo and a star-studded starting lineup to compete with some of the best the East has to offer and make the NBA Finals for the first time since the 2020-21 season.
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