The Milwaukee Bucks' championship window may be quickly shrinking, and there may be nothing they can do about it.
Heading into the start of the 2024-25 NBA season, the Milwaukee Bucks have emerged as a bit of an afterthought in the Eastern Conference. However, the Bucks do have the talent to quickly change that narrative. But if they're going to do that, they're going to need to be healthy this season - and that's the bare minimum of what needs to go right for the team.
To start the season, it doesn't appear as if the Bucks are getting off on the right foot on that front.
During the offseason, Khris Middleton underwent procedures on both ankles. While there was some hope he would be ready by training camp, that doesn't appear to be the case. When the Bucks open training camps this week, Middleton will be a limited participant at best. According to a recent report, Middleton has not been cleared for 5-on-5 activities and the team is expected to take a cautious approach even when he is ready to go.
You'd have to imagine that the hope and plan is that Middleton will be ready for the start of the regular season but knowing his injury history, that's probably far from a guarantee. And in fact, the Bucks would probably much rather bring him along slowly than rush his recovery just so that he's back for the start of the regular season.
If given the opportunity, the Bucks would much rather have Middleton healthy in April and May than in October and November. But even if that is what's at play here, this entire situation is still far from ideal for a Bucks team that is trying to keep a championship window open.
Has the championship window closed for the Milwaukee Bucks?
As crazy as it may seem, there is an argument to be made that the championship window has closed for the Bucks. If Damian Lillard isn't able to bounce back from a down year last season and Middleton isn't going to be healthy or reliable over the course of the season, it's hard to envision how Milwaukee is supposed to compete with the likes of the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, or New York Knicks this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo can be the best player on the planet and it still might not even matter. With the way things are trending, there is a lot at stake for the future of the Bucks heading into the start of the season.