Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 2019 NBA offseason

1. The Milwaukee Bucks should be the title favorites for next season

Last season the Milwaukee Bucks put together the best regular season in the league, with a dominant point differential and a slew of marquee wins. No part of their profile suggested fluke; they were the real deal.

Live Feed

Blue Man Hoop

A tough series with the eventual champion Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals came after an equally dominant 8-1 record in the first two rounds.

That alone should give the Bucks confidence going into next season, as they brought back the majority of that team. They swapped out Malcolm Brogdon, Tony Snell and Nikola Mirotic for Wesley Matthews and Robin Lopez, with at least two roster spots still to play with.

In addition, the Bucks are young enough to expect growth at multiple positions.

Older veterans such as George Hill and the Lopez brothers will more likely stay at a similar level (or slightly decline) in their late-prime, and Eric Bledsoe and Khris Middleton don’t seem to harbor huge upside and are already established as solid starters.

The team’s superstar, Giannis Antetokounmpo, is just 24 and still brimming with potential. Every year of his career he has taken a strong step forward, and even as the reigning MVP has room to grow.

It’s likely that he will come in next season with an improved outside shot, a truly deadly and terrifying proposition for opponents. His passing vision has grown steadily over the years, as have his help instincts on defense.

On the bench the Bucks have a number of young pieces still growing as well. Sterling Brown, Pat Connaughton and D.J. Wilson all had solid years in 2018-19, and rising sophomore Donte DiVincenzo is expected by many to pop next year after an injury-plagued rookie campaign.

Losing Brogdon hurts, but the Bucks can reasonably expect to be similarly dominant this season. What also helps is the clearing out of the greatest obstacle in their way to the top.

With Kawhi Leonard in Los Angeles the Toronto Raptors will take a large step back next season. With Boston losing Al Horford and Brooklyn in a waiting year due to Kevin Durant’s injury, there is only one other true contender in the East other than the Bucks.

The Philadelphia 76ers are built like the Mon-Stars, with huge size at every position. They swapped J.J. Redick and Jimmy Butler out for Josh Richardson and Al Horford, adding Matisse Thybulle in the draft.

There is size everywhere on that team, and defensively they are equipped like no other team to slow down the Bucks.

Yet offensively the Sixers have serious questions, such as who is going to space the floor in a rotation mostly stocked with inside scorers. The Bucks have continuity on their side, while the Sixers are figuring out a new rotation.

Philadelphia will be a serious opponent, but the Bucks should be favored.

With the Western Conference stocked 10-deep with strong teams, no single team should feel confident emerging from their side of the bracket.

Both teams in Los Angeles look formidable, but the Utah Jazz, Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers all made moves to improve this summer. And everyone should count out the Golden State Warriors at their peril.

Given the jumble out West and the clear path in the East, the Milwaukee Bucks should be the title favorites next season. With the other contenders all swapping All-Stars like a game of Pit, the Bucks’ continuity should give them a leg up next year.

Most importantly, the Bucks employ the services of Giannis Antetokounmpo. At the end of the day, all the offseason moves around the league cannot change that fact.

With Giannis the Bucks are a title contender, and the summer may have unfolded in just the right way for them to be title winners as well.