The Milwaukee Bucks apparently decided their biggest issue last season was their coach.
Mike Budenholzer's departure in favor of Adrian Griffin represents the most noticeable change for the Bucks, who saw their front office largely focus on talent retention this offseason.
Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez are back on new multiyear deals, while the likes of Jevon Carter and Joe Ingles were allowed to walk on the open market. Milwaukee used only minimum contracts for talent acquisition, signing Robin Lopez and Malik Beasley to deals.
The result is a top-heavy, aging roster around Giannis Antetkounmpo, who is eligible for an extension but has not yet signed with the Bucks. Antetkounmpo can become a free agent after the 2024-25 season, and his status is worth monitoring as the Bucks choose to run things back with their aging core.
With the 2023-24 schedule being announced Thursday, here's a look at how things shake out for the Bucks.
2023-24 Bucks Schedule Details
Season Opener: vs. Philadelphia 76ers (Oct. 26, 7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
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Top Matchups
Miami Heat
When you become just the sixth No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 8 in the first round, things become personal. That will be the case when the Bucks host the Heat, who unceremoniously ended Milwaukee's 58-win season a year ago.
Now, it's clear Miami was not your typical No. 8 seed. The Heat were actually a No. 7 during the regular season before falling in their first play-in tournament game and subsequently ran their way all the way to the NBA Finals.
That said, the sting reverberated throughout the Bucks organization. Budenholzer is unemployed as a result, and chatter about Antetkounmpo seeking greener pastures is at its loudest in years.
This Heat team will look far different from its predecessor, though how much will depend on whether they are ultimately able to land Damian Lillard via trade from the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard has been angling for a trade to Miami for months, and the Heat allowing key role players like Max Strus and Gabe Vincent to exit was no doubt motivated by a potential Lillard pursuit.
Despite the different look of the roster, this Heat team is still led by Jimmy Butler and has the proverbial Heat Culture ingrained.
Boston Celtics
The Bucks and Celtics were by far the two best teams of the 2022-23 regular season and have one thing in common: They did not even reach the NBA Finals.
Boston came within a game of its second straight appearance but could not dig itself out of a 3-0 hole to Miami. The Heat jettisoned the Bucks, thanks in large part to a poorly timed Antetkounmpo injury.
With the Philadelphia 76ers dealing with another James Harden-related headache, the Celtics and Bucks remain the clear on-paper class of the East. Any matchup between the teams will be a battle for supremacy at the top of the conference, with the likely No. 1 and No. 2 seeds being determined by a razor-thin margin.
A single game separated Boston from being the No. 1 seed last season despite having a significantly better point differential. We'll have to see what this season has in store for both teams.
Season Forecast
As long as the Bucks have a healthy Antetkounmpo, they will be fine. He's a walking 50-win season, the game's best player and likely will remain so for the foreseeable future.
Sadly, the foundation around Giannis is crumbling.
The Bucks only had the Eastern Conference's fourth-best point differential last season. Middleton was an injury-riddled shell of himself, and the Bucks' decision to lavish him with a three-year, $93 million contract is questionable. Jrue Holiday showed signs of decline and turned 33 in June.
Lopez, for all of his spectacular play a season ago, turns 36 years old in April. We almost certainly saw the best of what remains of his career last season.
Griffin was a well-regarded assistant on Nick Nurse's bench, but he has no head coaching experience. It's anyone's guess whether he will sink or swim with the increased spotlight.
The Bucks winning enough games to be a top seed in the Eastern Conference is not in question. It's whether this core still has the talent to make a championship run that remains very much up in the air.
Season Forecast: 56-26
