5 biggest NBA storylines going into the 2021-22 season

NBA storylines: 4. Can the Milwaukee Bucs repeat as champions?

The Milwaukee Bucks come into this season only losing one key piece from the title run with P.J. Tucker heading to Miami.

The Bucks mostly retained their core group while adding some new pieces like George Hill (an upgrade over Jeff Teague if you ask me), Grayson Allen (a better version of Bryn Forbes if you ask me) and they get back the injured Donte DiVincenzo – who likely would have been a 30+ minutes player in the Finals if healthy.

Retaining Bobby Portis is an under-celebrated move for the Bucks’ front office, and Giannis Antetokounmpo only has room to grow at 26 years old. Mike Budenholzer has just recently signed a three-year extension and with the narrative of “Can the Bucks and Bud do it in the playoffs” proven false, Bud can focus on experimentation and perfecting the Bucks’ game plan for another title run throughout the season.

Continuity will be the Bucks’ biggest asset going into this season, there isn’t a contender that has as much chemistry as the Bucks do: Lakers added Westbrook, Nets have barely played together, Clippers and Nuggets are both missing stars, Heat added Lowry, Sixers who knows and the Warriors need a healthy Klay Thompson which is a wait and see.

It’s not hard to imagine the Bucks being even better than they were last year, and as they showed at the deadline last season with Tucker, they might be able to get another buyout veteran to bolster the playoff roster for a back-to-back run at the title.

As of right now J.J. Reddick (if he would play outside the eastern coastal cities), Dante Exum (who is only 26 years old and was essential to Australia’s bronze medal in Tokyo), Paul Millsap and Glenn Robinson III are all free agents would all fit the Bucks’ two-way and or shooting philosophy.

The only real criticism I had of the Bucks’ championship roster was their lack of depth, depending on how some of their younger talents plan out throughout the year, the Bucks may need to be on the hunt to add more talent off the bench – two of their seven best players were centers, that’s a very difficult rotation to manage in a playoff series.

If the Bucks add some depth, stay healthy and Giannis is still the dominant two-way force that he is, the storyline of “can the Bucks repeat” will rage on until the Bucks either hoist another O’Brien or fall short in the Eastern Conference playoffs.