Milwaukee Bucks Ultimate 2022-23 NBA Season Preview

What defines success?

A Championship.

After the Bucks spent years perishing in NBA’s purgatory that is an annual battle for the eighth seed (not bad enough to get a top draft pick and not good enough to do any serious damage), they’ve firmly at the top of the mountain. This is the Golden Era of Bucks’ basketball given the 2022-23 season marks the fifth-straight year they can seriously be considered championship contenders. Who knows how long that will last?

Milwaukee has a built-in excuse for last year when Middleton went down, but that can’t be used twice a row. Other teams overcome injuries every year and the Bucks need to be better equipped to handle a sudden and unexpected loss–especially if Antetokounmpo is still healthy.

All of Milwaukee’s moves point to a team that is most worried about the basketball that will be played from April through June. As they should be. If Ingles can return to health, he will boost this team in the postseason. Middleton’s return and the health of the rest of the team will be critical as well.

Budenholzer’s coaching will be put to the test again. Can he pass without P.J. Tucker barking directions in his ear? He’s already made one change in the preseason that will probably have fans freaking out in a month. We’ll see if he has the coaching acumen to stick to the plan or adjust along the way. He could be the key to unlocking another Bucks’ championship.