The Milwaukee Bucks jumped to the top of the ladder as favorites (along with the Boston Celtics) to win the 2024 NBA championship after they acquired Damian Lillard to pair him with franchise superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Arguably no other duo in the NBA is better than Antetokounmpo and Lillard. Opposing defenses will have nightmares trying to guard those two on the pick-and-roll with Lillard running the paint and Antetokounmpo wreaking havoc on the inside. The sky is the limit for Milwaukee's offense with Dame and Giannis running the show. However, they still have a glaring flaw that could prevent them from climbing back to the top of the mountain next June.

Trading for Lillard came at a cost — and that was parting ways with Jrue Holiday. Holiday was a major reason why the Bucks won their first title after a half-century. Losing him and being unable to land a player who can replicate some of the things he brought to the table defensively could be their downfall.

Milwaukee tips off its regular season on Thursday when they host the reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers at Fiserv Forum. Bucks fans will need to wait to finally see the Antetokounmpo-Lillard tandem take the floor and they certainly have championship expectations with their shiny new pairing. However, the Bucks still have a flaw that can doom their chances of winning the 2024 NBA title.

Milwaukee Bucks flaw: Point of attack defense

The Milwaukee Bucks essentially traded offense for defense by bringing in Damian Lillard for Jrue Holiday. With Giannis Antetokounmpo putting a little bit of pressure on the front office during the offseason with his subtle comments about potentially leaving the franchise, Milwaukee knew it needed to make a change.

That change was to address its offensive shortcomings last season. Despite finishing with the best record in the NBA, the Bucks ranked just 15th in offensive rating last season, though they were No. 4 in defensive rating. That could potentially flip this upcoming season after they traded away their top perimeter defender in exchange for one of the best offensive forces in NBA history.

In addition, the Bucks also lost arguably their second-best perimeter defender in Jevon Carter, who signed with the Chicago Bulls this summer. Losing both has left the team's point-of-attack defense very vulnerable this upcoming season.

Sure, Milwaukee still has a fortified interior defense with Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo patrolling the paint. But the Bucks still lack a player they can entrust to be that lockdown defender against the best perimeter players in the NBA.

New head coach Adrian Griffin made Bucks fans raise their eyebrows when he mentioned Malik Beasley will “take the toughest assignments most nights.” Beasley hasn't been particularly known for his defensive acumen. The 6-foot-4 guard's three-point shooting has always been his calling card in the league. However, it seems like Griffin is pushing the 26-year-old to take the challenge defensively and become a 3-and-D player for his team.

Pat Connaughton is a serviceable wing defender, but he certainly isn't on the level of Holiday in that regard. He also isn't as quick-footed and pesky as Carter.

Khris Middleton has always been a serviceable defender throughout his career. He will likely play a bigger role on that end of the floor and take on the top wings in the league, such as Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, and Kawhi Leonard. However, given his struggles with injuries over the last couple of years, you have to wonder if Middleton is still capable of bringing it defensively on a nightly basis.

It will be interesting to see just how much of an issue this will be come opening night. The Bucks likely won't have to deal with James Harden on the perimeter, but Tyrese Maxey should be a solid litmus test for how Milwaukee's perimeter defense currently looks.