Is the Bucks' title window closed now?

[azcatz11]

I’d be surprised if Giannis doesnt ask for a trade.

[Ice Man]

Yes. As probably is Philly's. Embiid is now on the wrong side of 30, his knee is Swiss cheese, and he's carrying 300 pounds. It's pretty unlikely that he's ever going to be able to bring it for an entire playoff run, through the Finals. And without him, Philly is Maxey + expansion team players.

[Lalouie]

With Lillard and Giannis being out Doc has an convenient excuse to come back next season. We all know that's not going to end well.

Where does Giannis end up eventually? Would be a pity for him to waste his prime with the Bucks, especially considering how him being injury prone might shorten his career.

You seem to be ensconced in the "trade me" culture. Giannis is in a situation of his own doing, whether being injured or forcing people out of the bucks org, and i think he's averse to passing the blame

[jordb2k7]

This is all crazy to me. Bucks have not lost this series and I think there’s a high chance they win it in 7. Wait until they are eliminated before having the discussion but I think we aren’t there yet

[Kurtz]

Most teams that win the chip are old teams. I think it's a year early to write them off.

[OrangeBlueSkies]

I believe Lillard will decline alot next season. 34 is THAT age.

Jimmy, is that you?

[OrangeBlueSkies]

As long as Giannis plays like a top 5 player, the window isn't closed.

Giannis has missed playoff games in 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 postseasons. That’s the issue. Being hurt in the playoffs four of 5 years is the concern and it won’t get any easier when he is in his 30’s.

Something could be said for the load he is pulling during the season. Protect your superstar, that is your job as a franchise. Being a Knicks fan, Thibs gets a lot of flack for running his guys heavy minutes, but when OG was hurt, Knicks held him out for precautionary reasons, Hartenstein had a minutes restriction for months...


sometimes the coaches and the medical staff need to protect their stars from themselves...

[Pattycakes]

The Lillard trade has been pretty disappointing for both parties so far.
Bucks haven't gotten better at all and the Blazers' future doesn't seem promising either

Lol leave us out of this. Our future looks a helluva lot brighter than who this thread is about, and we’ll get the draft picks.

[LaLover11]

Not if Durant joins Giannis and Lillard next season

[AntetokounmBros]

Yes. I caught a lot of flack for stating the apparent mistake of firing Griffin, and rest assured; it's not going to get any easier for them as their core and supplemental players age.

Firing Griffin wasn’t a mistake. Hiring him in the first place, then being stuck with Doc as the best replacement was the mistake. Doc has been mediocre, but at least we don’t look completely unorganized.

We’re just old and slow. Dame needs a good defender next to him. Khris is smart, but slow. Brook struggles against floor spacing teams. Old role players like Crowder and Connaughton (love the guy) need to be replaced. Portis and Beasley aren’t great defenders, as much as they try.

I think moving Giannis to C would help us, but probably won’t happen.

[ShootersShoot]

As long as they're healthy they have a chance. They've had health issues the last 2 years, and 3 if we're being honest given how 2022 ended. They actually haven't lost a series healthy since they won the title.

If healthy is a big ask if you need all of Giannis, Lillard, Middleton AND Brook Lopez to be healthy at the same time, so not very likely.

Not really? These guys have mostly good health track records. Giannis is mostly in good health, Lopez has been healthy 9 of the last 10 years, Lillard's health profile is pretty good given he was mostly held out with fake injuries the last 2 years to tank and he's been an iron man outside of that. The only notable injury risk is Middleton, who has been hobbled by his recent injuries (prior to that he was an iron man too), but ironically he seems fine at the moment. The Bucks have just been unlucky.

Khris only played 33 games last season and 55 this season. He also missed most of the 2022 playoffs..he needs to stay healthy he ties the whole team together.

[Buckeye-NBAFan]

Yes. I caught a lot of flack for stating the apparent mistake of firing Griffin, and rest assured; it's not going to get any easier for them as their core and supplemental players age.

All I remember of that firing is shock. Certainly no one was defending the Doc hiring.

That said, Giannis and Lillard are both hurt, so anyone taking credit for predicting the Bucks flaming out of the playoffs doesn't deserve any credit unless they predicted it would be because the two stars would be out.

Also, Jrue Holiday has been terrible in the playoffs, like he has been for years now. So anyone taking a victory lap on that trade based on the regular season missed the point of the trade, which was the playoffs, where Lillard has played well.

They're just getting older and killed by injuries, including Middleton, and it's hard to win titles. But they've been right there for quite a while, which is an achievement on its own. But imagine they make the Middleton for Butler trade in 2018. They could have had titles in 2019, 2021, 2022.

[GrandTheftRondo]

Yes. I caught a lot of flack for stating the apparent mistake of firing Griffin, and rest assured; it's not going to get any easier for them as their core and supplemental players age.

Griffin being fired has zero to do with them being down 3-1.

Injuries have completely killed off any chance they had of getting out of the first round.

Would have been even worse with Griffin at the helm.

[shi-woo]

No, not even close, they just need to work smarter not harder.

Giannis needs to move to center, and most of their problems will be solved. Do that, start another athletic 2/3 swing, and for the love of god please let the middling veterans take a hike. How Bev was getting minutes over Jackson this year was just mind boggling to me.

I personally think they wasted this year, and should have spent way more time developing their young guys. I obviously love AJJ, but MarJon looks decent, Livingston was the #13 high school recruit, TyTy #14,and Green obviously is a knock down 3pnt shooter. All of those guys should have gotten some burn this year, and they didn't.

Bucks chose to run with burn outs like Bev, Crowder, Galo, and for some strange reason thought it was a good idea to start and play Malik Beasly 30 minutes a game. Idk what that was about, but it makes no sense. If you ever find yourself starting Malik AND Dame, you need to address what the problem actually is. Which is Giannis can't shoot.

There has to be some shake up of Pat, Lopez, and Portis. I think if you can move on from Pat Connington you do it, and Brook too. though that probably isn't happening unless you take back a contract you dont really want.

Bucks have their 1st this year, and a very solid 2nd rounder. Make those picks count, this draft is deep, and has a lot of upperclass talent ready to play deeper in the draft. Find one dude who can come in and contribute like one of the UConn guys Reeves, Ingram de Siva. You get the idea

If you can't trade Pat or Lopez for a decent point or wing, sign one on the cheap like Monte Morris or even bring Payne back.

Giannis- Brook
Royce- Portis- Caraban
Kris- Ingram- MarJon
Jackson- Green
Dame- Morris

That team is still good. Mil just needs to shuffle things up a bit, and actually use it's young talent. Boston is getting a ton out of Pritchard and Hauser. Denver is getting a ton out of Braun and Peyton. Mil is getting absolutely nothing from it's last few drafts, and that's what's killed them. Playing young guys might hurt them at first, but as Jackson has shown in the last couple of games, having that drive and athleticism on an older team is important.

[rapluva]

Guys like Middleton and Lopez are injury prone and getting older. At the end of the day the Bucks will need to make changes as the only one they have to please is Giannis.

I won't be surprised that Middleton and Lopez are shopped at the deadline..

[FarBeyondDriven]

The Bucks have no option but to run it back and remain pretenders but that doesn't mean Giannis has to accept that. This is a very flawed and maxed out roster. They don't have cap space, their picks are too late to make a difference and their young talent is barren after years of bad drafting. He's going to have to demand a trade and nobody should be mad at him for doing so.

[theFireBlanket]

Guys like Middleton and Lopez are injury prone and getting older. At the end of the day the Bucks will need to make changes as the only one they have to please is Giannis.

I won't be surprised that Middleton and Lopez are shopped at the deadline..

Khris & Lopez are injury prone but play more playoff games recently than Giannis & Dame? Okay.

Khris has missed less playoff games than GA since 2019.

[dygaction]

Don't know their window but Lillard's injury opened Doc's window for longer.

[Chessboxer]

The sad part is, the Bucks have never been fully healthy since their championship run. Middleton was injured the following year, Giannis has a freak back injury in game 1 the following year and ends up only playing 2 full games. Now this season, Giannis goes down 2 weeks before the playoffs start. I just wish I got to see them have a healthy run to win a second title, but it is what it is. I know they definitely would have beaten the overrated Celtics.

However, if they can find out a way to get younger their fortunes will change dramatically. Surrounding a still prime Giannis with young high IQ players with athleticism would devastate the league. Surrounding Giannis with a old, slow roster is ridiculous.

[Mk0]

They will run it back another year and hope that they can remain healthy and get a favorable matchup. Injuries can make or break a run, they are on the wrong side of it this year is all.