Obviously, any success the Milwaukee Bucks capture during the 2024-25 NBA season will rely on how Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard produce above all else.
They're the two superstars who make the wheels turn on this roster. However, they alone cannot lead this Milwaukee team to a championship; they need help from a handful of the non-superstars on this revamped roster. That said, let's analyze several key Milwaukee Bucks not named Antetokounmpo or Lillard who will determine the team's 2024-25 success.
Khris Middleton
It's not controversial to say, especially after seeing what he did in the NBA Playoffs versus the Pacers, that Khris Middleton's health is the biggest X-factor for Milwaukee this coming season.
When healthy, Khris Middleton is one of the smoothest scorers on the hardwood. In six playoff games against Indiana, he averaged 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists. With Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard dealing with injuries, Middleton raised his game in an attempt to lift the Bucks to a series victory but came up short in the end.
Despite the loss, it was great to see that Middleton still had plenty of fuel in the tank, especially after another injury-riddled regular season. When every member of the Big 3 is on the court, one could be valid in arguing that they're the most talented trio in the game; the problem was that they just weren't on the court together much last season, and injuries to Middleton were a significant reason for that.
When they are all together, Middleton is the perfect third fiddle, as he can capitalize on the attention given to his co-stars by opposing defenses and take the offense into his own hands. As he showed in the playoffs, his clutch gene is also still very much intact, as he's not afraid of taking and making the big shots to close out games. Now, he just needs to stay healthy and do it next to those two.
Undergoing surgery on both of his ankles this offseason, there are question marks as to how good Middleton will look entering camp. The hope is that he's back up to speed by then, but given just how many injuries he's dealt with in recent memory, the team will likely be cautious. They need him to win a championship this coming season, so he lands firmly on this list, largely due to his health.