4. Milwaukee Bucks
Just like the Nuggets, let's at least have a conversation about this one. Yes they won a championship - beating the Suns in the process - back in 2021, but a lot has changed since then. The Bucks no longer have a likely Hall of Fame point guard in Jrue Holiday, and the Damian Lillard experiment hasn't been great so far.
Khris Middleton continues to struggle with injuries, although there's no doubting he is perhaps the most well established second option in the league when he is on his game. He understands when to defer to Giannis Antetokounmpo, and when to take over the game with awesome scoring stretches.
Giannis Antetokounmpo makes history as the first Black flagbearer for Greece during the Opening Ceremony in Paris 🇬🇷 pic.twitter.com/l0OgbMmzvT
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 26, 2024
Then there is "The Greek Freak" himself, who like Jokic has won it all before. The key difference is that injuries have arrived for him at the worst time across the last two seasons, and the Bucks have been a disappointment in the postseason as a result.
Also working against the Bucks is a head coach in Doc Rivers who fans aren't convinced is the right man for the job, while former Bucks leading man Mike Budenholzer is now in Phoenix. We're again going to give this one to the opponent, but this is the slimest margin yet.