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Report pegs the Milwaukee Bucks to be worse in 2023-2024
The Milwaukee Bucks have had a solid offseason, re-signing the All-Star combo of Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton as well as Jae Crowder, while adding key pieces in Malik Beasley and Robin Lopez. However, despite those nifty moves, a report from Bleacher Report pegs the Bucks to be worse next season due to two crucial factors.
Key losses
According to Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report, the Bucks suffered key losses when they failed to re-sign reserves Jevon Carter and Joe Ingles, as both played crucial roles for the squad all season long. Carter, a relentless defender and a deadeye shooter from deep, and Ingles, a crafty playmaker and glue guy, signed with Chicago and Orlando, respectively.
"The Bucks lost Joe Ingles and Jevon Carter to the Orlando Magic and Chicago Bulls, respectively. The former shot 40.9 percent from deep in 46 games after returning from a torn ACL on Dec. 19, while the latter played an even larger role for last year's 58-win Bucks. Carter appeared in 81 games, starting 39 of them while providing intense defensive pressure and a 42.1 percent three-point hit rate as the most-used backup guard on the team," Hughes wrote.
Aging core
Outside of Giannis, the three members of the Bucks' title-winning core are getting up there in both age and mileage. With the team's apparent lack of depth, leaning into their core may prove disastrous.
"Considering the mileage accrued over several recent playoff runs, plus the advancing age of the core—Khris Middleton will be 32 in August, Jrue Holiday is 33 and Brook Lopez is 35—it would be risky to compensate for key losses by leaning harder on the top of the rotation," Hughes added."Other than having something to prove after that ugly first-round ouster, almost every factor points to a step backward for the Bucks in 2023-24."
On the other hand, Bucks GM Jon Horst recently shared how the team is pleased with its current roster and the depth they have.
