The Milwaukee Bucks are the new favorites to win the 2023/24 NBA title after acquiring seven-time All Star Damian Lillard in a three-team deal on September 27.
The Bucks have emerged as outright favorites following the acquisition of 7x All Star point guard Damian Lillard on September 27.
Lillard will team up with Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and new head coach Adrian Griffin as the Bucks aim to add another title, having last won it all in 2021.
Milwaukee entered last season’s playoffs with the top record in the league and top seed in the East, but fell to the Miami Heat in six games in the first round.
Far and away the most dominant team in last season’s NBA playoffs, the Denver Nuggets were favorites to win the 2023/24 NBA Finals up until the Bucks acquired Lillard.
Led by Finals MVP Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets went 16-4 in the postseason en route to the franchise’s first-ever title.
Michael Malone’s team will field a very similar roster to the one that won it all last June – the only major difference being Bruce Brown’s departure to the Indiana Pacers.
The Celtics took a step back in 2022/23 – after losing to the Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals, they were eliminated by the 8-seed Miami Heat in last year’s Eastern Conference Finals.
Jayson Tatum is a bonafide superstar, Jaylen Brown was re-signed on the richest deal in NBA history this offseason, and Kristaps Porzingis came to town and will likely replace Marcus Smart in the starting lineup.
All signs point to the Celtics making another deep playoff run this season.
The Suns never quite got going after adding Kevin Durant last February, and eventually fell to the Nuggets in six games in the Western Conference semifinals.
They enter 2023/24 re-tooled and poised to make some noise in the West.
There is no more Chris Paul, DeAndre Ayton, or head coach Monty Williams – three pieces crucial to Phoenix’s success in recent seasons. Frank Vogel has taken charge as head coach, while 3x All Star Bradley Beal will join Durant and Devin Booker to form a new ‘big three.’
After winning their fourth NBA title in eight seasons in 2022, the Warriors suffered a noticeable dip last season, culminating in a second round playoff exit to the Los Angeles Lakers,
The big three – Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green – remains intact, but they have a new running mate.
Golden State swapped 2022 champion Jordan Poole for veteran Chris Paul this offseason, a move that signifies the Warriors are going for another title while their championship window is still open.
Odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.
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