Bucks are not guaranteed to contend next season

The Milwaukee Bucks will enter the new NBA season with a point to prove after being eliminated from the playoffs in the opening round for the second year running. Milwaukee's struggles last season were exacerbated by the addition of Damian Lillard, who failed to elevate the team to the levels many had expected, thus leaving the Bucks with far more questions than answers as they headed into the new season.

During a recent episode of ESPN's "NBA Today," insider Zach Lowe cited the Bucks as "the biggest question in the NBA" heading into the new season.

"Continuity won't be enough," Lowe said. "And to me, this is the biggest question in the NBA going into the new season. Can the Bucks rediscover the form of a team you look at and say, 'that's a contender. That team can beat Boston four times in a playoff series.'...The questions outweigh the answers right now. Damian Lillard is 34 and rarely looked comfortable last season. Khris Middleton is 33, coming off an injury-plagued season, a nice playoffs and then double ankle surgery in the offseason...This team is getting older and less athletic around Giannis, and they don't have a lot of young guys in the pipeline."