On July 20th, in game 6, Milwaukee Bucks defeated Phoenix Suns 105 to 98. With this score, they won the series with 4 to 2. This is their first NBA Championship in more than 50 years. It was indeed a historic season for them but also the NBA as well. They were the underdogs, but in the end, they came through.
Many people weren’t predicting them as one of the favourites, let alone the actual championship winners, so this truly is an impressive result for them. They defeated the odds. Exactly opposite of that happened to their main conference rivals, Toronto Raptors, where they had everything in their favour judging by the odds set on some of the sports betting Canada websites. Still, Milwaukee Bucks went into playoffs, losing two out of three games against them, while Raptors placed 12 overall, missing the playoffs by a long shot.
Even with their recent win, they are not the favourites to win the 2022 NBA Finals. Both Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Lakers are in front of them. So could it be that they just had a good season, or are the Bucks a force to stay? Time will tell.
So what can we learn from Milwaukee Bucks winning the championship? What are the reasons for this historic score? We point out the three we find most important.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Giannis Antetokounmpo
IF there is one player who deserves the most credit, it is Giannis Antetokounmpo. He had an incredible season-ending in an unbelievable finale in which he scored 50 points. That is almost half of what the entire team scored. Add on top of that 14 rebounds. Not surprisingly, he was named the Finals MVP. And don’t forget he hasn’t yet received a dime from his $228 million contract extension. Talk about an investment that paid off.
Videos of him being injured and broken on the floor in Atlanta in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finale seem to be a distant memory.
Coaches Matter
Budenholzer’s position is now rock solid. But the fortunes of this Bucks coach weren’t looking so good two years ago. First, they lost four straights against the Raptors. Then, it seemed he had only one strategy, one plan: Giannis attacks a wall of defenders. Then, next season, Miami sent them home in the conference semi-finals. Mike then made some adjustments, became less dependent on Giannis, and improved their defence. And the rest is history.
Coaches matter. Their tactics and plays matter as well. Mike Budenholzer was the right coach for the right team at the right time. It took some time to pay off, but it did so in a big way when it did.
Not a Popular Destination
Let’s be honest. Players want to go to Miami, New York, or Los Angeles. Indiana? Sacramento? Milwaukee? Not so much. And this is something that makes it much harder to find gems and great players that want to come. Free agents aren’t interested in Milwaukee both on or off the court. But still, a team like that just managed to win the championship and managed to do so in a compelling way. And let’s not forget how vital role a budget play. Small vs considerable revenue makes a lot of difference as well. But the Bucks didn’t care about all that and still won the championship.
Keep in mind the following: Take Buck’s top 10 rotation players this postseason, and five were low-level signings. A true underdog story.
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