The off-season plan of Damian Lillard, the star of the Bucks, destroyed the trade speculation. It can be predicted that the Bucks will continue to go all out, especially when the letter brother's trust in Damian Lillard will only become more firm.
They said that good things always come to those who wait, but can the Milwaukee Bucks afford patience in the harsh NBA game?
After completing a big deal for Damian Lillard, the Bucks, considered by many as legitimate championship contenders, never really started before the start of the season. Their champion hopes to be destroyed in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs later, because Alphabet didn't even play a minute in their six defeats against the Indiana Pacers.
The Bucks' season is full of many changes. They replaced Zhu Hollady, the master of ball control who won the championship in 2021, with Lillard, thus losing the stability on the court.
As a result, their defense fell.
Then, they let Mike Budenholzer, the long-term head coach, leave and chose Adrian Griffin, a rookie of Bucks' Stephen Walker. However, Griffin didn't even spend a year because the Bucks replaced him with Doc Rivers in January.
Nevertheless, Brother Alphabet knew that the future of him and Damian Lillard was bright. But he knows the value of working hard and reaping rewards. As a star of the Bucks, he hopes to strengthen the relationship with Lillard in the coming months.
"After I recover in a few weeks, I may go to Portland to spend time with everyone. That's it. Train with Lillard, talk, sit down, just get along. Not necessarily basketball. Just spend time together." Alphabet brother told the Milwaukee Sentinel's Jim Ozczarsky.
If any, Damian Lillard has shown in the past that he is willing to spend most of the off-season time to strengthen the relationship with his teammates.
Therefore, the efforts of Brother Alphabet will certainly not be unrequited. Perhaps, on a more personal level, the two Buck stars know each other better and can achieve better synergy on the court when they play again next season.
For the Bucks, stability is the key.
In the NBA, continuity and stability can be underestimated factors for a team to compete for championship. Just look at the Minnesota Timberwolves. Last season, when they tried to integrate Rudy Gobel into the team, they experienced many ups and downs. They dropped out of the first round in the 2023 playoffs, just like the Bucks did in 2024.
But now, the Minnesota Timberwolves may look the scariest of the remaining eight teams in this year's playoffs.
For the Bucks, they will spend most of the 2023-24 season discussing the identity of the team and how new members can combine and form a unified whole.
In particular, Damian Lillard must adjust himself, because he has been the leader of Portland Trailblazers for a large part of his career. In Milwaukee, Lillard had to adapt to the higher usage of the alphabet.
Perhaps, with a year of cooperation experience and more time spent in understanding each other throughout the off-season, the Bucks can play the full potential of the Lillard Alphabet combination both on and off the court.
"I know I will have a full season to understand the coach I will play for, the guy I will play with, and the situation in Milwaukee," said Lillard.
"Everything I've done here has settled down... I think at the beginning of next season, when people see me back, they will be really surprised at how much these things have affected."
How many talents can the team add to Giannis and Damian?
The core five person group of the Bucks consists of Brother Alphabet, Damian Lillard, Chris Middleton, Brooke Lopez and Bobby Portis. This is a very good foundation for a team with championship ambitions, but the depth of the Bucks finally appears to be insufficient.
This offseason, the Bucks will have to focus on adding defensive players to their lineup. Pat Connaton is still in the team, which can bring running, vitality and some shooting ability. Re signing Patrick Beverly may help set the tone on the defensive end. Is it worth re signing Malik Beasley?
Milwaukee's tax exceeds the second tax dilemma, so the measures they can take in this off-season are severely restricted.
Will next year be the year when Bucks trust young players such as Marjon Boshan and Andre Jackson to take a step forward?
They have to stand up because the team needs to improve their defense if they are serious about competing for the Larry O'Brien trophy.
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