The Bucks have a difficult season ahead of them with less star power on the roster than in previous seasons. Many fans and media members have dismissed them as a weak roster incapable of making any real noise in the playoffs, but Bobby Portis believes that will actually help the team. Portis talked on media day about the benefit of going into a season with lower expectations and being able to surprise teams.
Teams won’t see the Bucks coming
Bobby Portis is certainly correct that the Bucks are being overlooked going into this season. ESPN projected them to win 46 games and finish sixth in the East, which would be their worst record and placement in the standings since 2018. Compared to the past two seasons with Damian Lillard on the team, it’s a stark difference.
The Bucks have a lot of young players on the team who could benefit from an environment with fewer external expectations. Milwaukee should still be internally confident in their own team, but having fewer talking heads to disappoint can help a developing player. Not to mention, having extra bulletin board material can also further motivate players.
Additionally, the Bucks may be able to catch some teams off guard this season. Every year, there are some teams that perform a lot better than expected, and they can get the benefit of a sneak attack in the early part of the season. Last season, the Cavaliers and Pistons probably benefited somewhat from this effect. It’s rare for a team with a top-three player in the world to be in that position, but that’s exactly where the Milwaukee Bucks are now.
Of course, the crushing weight of everyone on social media overlooking a team can also demoralize a team before the season even starts. But the Bucks have the necessary elements to prevent that from happening. In that same interview, Portis embraced his role as a veteran leader of the team and one of the few still left from the 2021 championship team (along with the Antetokounmpos).
The Milwaukee Bucks also have the most experienced head coach in the NBA. Although it’s become a trend to criticize Doc Rivers’ coaching, especially in the playoffs, it can’t be denied that the man knows how to win NBA games. He has coached almost 2,000 games in just the regular season and won over 1,100 of them as well. At this point, he’s seen it all and coached teams with vastly different rosters to successful seasons.
The Milwaukee Bucks don’t have the same external expectations going into this season as they have throughout Giannis’ stardom. However, if they can maintain a strong internal belief, the team will actually reap the benefits of flying under the radar and surprise many people this season.