The biggest threat to the Bucks is not the Boston Celtics or Philadelphia 76ers

We know how it sounds, but hear us out. The Milwaukee Bucks have high aspirations as they head into the 2024-25 NBA season, but the most significant threat to their success isn't their Eastern Conference rivals in the defending champion Boston Celtics or the newly retooled Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks.

Instead, it lies within—specifically, the health of their star players. Over the past few seasons, injuries have plagued the Milwaukee Bucks at critical moments, undermining their championship potential.

The Milwaukee Bucks have consistently showcased their potential as a championship-caliber team, particularly when their starting lineup is healthy. The combination of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Damian Lillard forms a formidable trio that not many around the league have been able to weather for long stretches.

Look, no excuses can and should be made for any team on account of some unlucky injuries. You play who you play, and that's just how the association functions. This is not to take away from the achievement of any one team.

But the reality is this: Over the past few seasons, Milwaukee's biggest obstacle has been themselves.

No playoff contender has had to face a healthy Milwaukee Bucks roster

Since clinching their second NBA title in 2021, the Bucks have faced a series of unfortunate injuries that have hindered their playoff performances.

In the 2022 postseason, All-Star forward Khris Middleton was sidelined for the entire second round against the Celtics due to a knee injury. We know how that ended, as Giannis Antetokounmpo put the team on his back but ultimately couldn't get the job done on his own.

The following year, superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo played only nine quarters in their first-round series against the Miami Heat. In 2024, he missed all six games in a shocking first-round upset against the Indiana Pacers.

That leads us to today. Newly-acquired All-Star Damian Lillard, along with Antetokounmpo once more, faced injury setbacks during last season's playoffs. Khris Middleton showed us he had a lot left in the tank, but it was all too much for the team's third scoring option to handle.

All this is simply to say that health should be the team's biggest priority, especially for their Big 3, going forward.

Here's a startling statistic. Over the last two seasons, Middleton has played only 88 regular-season games due to multiple injuries, including surgeries on both ankles during the off-season. That makes a whole lot of difference when you consider that last year's Bucks starting lineup had the best net rating of any five-man unit in the league. (This year, they have Gary Trent Jr. replacing Malik Beasley.)

When healthy, the Milwaukee Bucks' starting lineup is among the best in the NBA, capable of competing with any team in the league. Put together, the combination of Antetokounmpo's utter dominance in the interior, Middleton's smooth three-level versatility and Lillard's dynamic scoring prowess creates a whirlwind of an offense that should put any defensive unit on its heels.

In case you needed proof, the trio of Lillard, Middleton, and Antetokounpmo only played a total of 42 games and 758 total minutes together, according to lineup data on NBA.com/stats, but in those minutes, they posted an offensive rating of 125.1 and a net rating of 17.5. Both would land in the top four in those statistics among all three-man lineups that played at least 700 minutes together. 

As the Milwaukee Bucks gear up for another season filled with promise, they must confront their biggest challenge, which is maintaining player health. Injuries have derailed their championship aspirations in recent years, making it clear that their path to success hinges not just on talent but on their ability to stay on the court together. If they can achieve this balance, they may very well reclaim their status as one of the top contenders in the NBA.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.