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The Milwaukee Bucks lifted the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship trophy for the first time since 1971 last season. Led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and coach Mike Budenholzer, the team accomplished the impossible and showed the league that a winning culture can indeed be successfully cultivated at home and does not need to be imported.
The Milwaukee Bucks beat the Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks and Phoenix Suns on their way to winning their second-ever championship. And the Fiserv forum is the home of champions once again after almost half a century.
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Heading into the next season, there are loads of speculation as to how the Milwaukee Bucks will follow up their dream run. It is only fair because this team has thoroughly raised the bar and expectations are at a fever pitch.
Let's make 3 bold predictions for the Deer District for the 2021-21 NBA season.
#1 The Milwaukee Bucks repeat their NBA triumph
The reigning NBA champs are always title favorites heading into the very next season, but that might not be the case this time around. The 2021 playoffs was heavily marred by injuries and saw a glaring lack of starpower. While players like Anthony Davis, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving couldn't be their usual selves, an MVP-caliber Stephen Curry saw his team fighting for a playoff berth without Klay Thompson.
But all of this changes next season. Klay's shooting is set to make a blockbuster return. LeBron and the Lakers are well rested this time around, and have added ample reinforcements in the offseason. The Brooklyn Nets will be healthier and stronger than ever as well.
While it is not entirely unlikely that the Milwaukee Bucks will lift the silverware again, it's a bold prediction to make. However, they have proven their championship caliber once, and are strong contenders in the Eastern Conference yet again.
#2 Giannis Antetokounmpo wins MVP and DPOY next season
During his 2019-20 MVP season, the Milwaukee Bucks' franchise cornerstone finished with the highest ever player efficiency rating (31.9) in the history of the league. And the five-time All-star hasn't looked back since.
This past season, he averaged 28 points, 11 boards, 5.9 dimes, 1.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game, but was still beaten to the MVP trophy by Nikola Jokic. The Freak shot 57% from the field and guarded the paint in crunch situations, while only committing under 3 fouls per game.
What the Milwaukee Bucks have in Giannis is a two-way player who is dominant on offense and resilient as a wall on defense. With the DPOY trophy eluding him for a couple of years now, the 2021-22 season seems like the right time for him to up his defensive game into a whole new stratosphere, even more so now that he has a title ring on his finger.
#3 The Milwaukee Bucks beat the stacked Brooklyn Nets to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference
Although hope springs eternal for all teams, we know the Eastern Conference will effectively be dominated by two franchises in the near future. The Brooklyn Nets would have beaten the Milwaukee Bucks in the East semis last season, had it not been for Kevin Durant's extra large shoe size.
The Bucks went on to win the title eventually, and Brooklyn regrouped for a fiesty offseason. Next season is going to be hard-fought as the battle in the East gets more intense.
The Bucks finished third in the East last season (46-26) behind Brooklyn (48-24) who never had a completely healthy squad for a good stretch of games. A lot of teams are waiting to make amends for their no-show from last year, and Brooklyn will be at the top of that list.
The Milwaukee Bucks finessing past KD and the Nets to take the East crown will be a sight to behold.
Also read: 3 Bold predictions for Dallas Mavericks' 2021-22 NBA Season
