Milwaukee Bucks Disrespected Again in ESPN Power Rankings: A Top Contender Should Never Be Ranked as Low as Fourteenth
The Milwaukee Bucks, a team with a recent championship pedigree, perennial All-Stars, and one of the most dominant players of the modern era, somehow found themselves ranked 14th in ESPN’s latest NBA power rankings. Let that sink in for a moment. Fourteenth. This isn’t just an oversight—it’s borderline disrespectful. It begs the question: how does a team featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard fall that far down the list in the eyes of analysts?
ESPN’s rankings, often seen as a pulse check of the league heading into the season, are supposed to reflect not only talent and track record but also expectations for the months ahead. Yet, in placing the Bucks at 14, the narrative seems to ignore common sense, basketball logic, and the sheer facts surrounding Milwaukee’s potential. If this team is healthy, they are one of the most dangerous squads in the league. The fall to 14 speaks volumes about a wider misunderstanding of who the Bucks are—and more importantly, who they can still be.
Let’s break it down. The Bucks have arguably the best player in the world in Giannis Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP and one-time champion who continues to elevate his game each year. Giannis doesn’t just score and rebound; he impacts the game on both ends of the floor in a way few others in league history ever have. Pairing him with Damian Lillard—one of the clutchest scorers in the NBA and an offensive force in his own right—should elevate Milwaukee into the top echelon of the power rankings automatically. Not only do they have star power, but they’ve also built a roster with depth, experience, and the motivation that comes from falling short in recent playoff runs.
Many critics point to Milwaukee’s early playoff exit in the 2024 postseason as justification for the low ranking. But context matters. That first-round defeat came amidst significant injuries—Giannis was sidelined for much of the series, and the team never looked fully in sync under then-head coach Doc Rivers, who had joined midway through the season. It’s difficult to judge the full potential of a team based on a sample where its best player was barely present, and where coaching stability was still being established.
Looking at the roster, there is no rational reason to put 13 teams ahead of Milwaukee. Yes, the NBA is stacked with talent. Teams like Boston, Denver, and Minnesota deserve top-tier recognition. But once you start placing less accomplished or less proven rosters ahead of Milwaukee—teams that have neither the superstar firepower nor the playoff track record—it becomes clear that recency bias and overreaction have colored the analysis.
Milwaukee’s offseason was far from quiet. In addition to giving Giannis the vote of confidence by locking him into an extension, they’ve also reinforced their core around the superstar duo. While some may point to defensive regression—especially with Jrue Holiday no longer in town—it’s worth remembering that the Bucks didn’t trade defense for nothing. They added an elite offensive weapon in Lillard, someone capable of closing games in a way Milwaukee lacked before. That alone should give the team an offensive ceiling rivaled by few.
Moreover, it’s hard to ignore the impact a full offseason can have. Damian Lillard joined Milwaukee just before last season started, giving the team little time to establish on-court chemistry. Giannis and Lillard had to learn each other’s rhythms on the fly, and that showed at times. But with a full training camp ahead, and a retooled coaching staff now fully in place, the Bucks are poised to take a major leap. If anything, they should be ranked higher than they were last year—not lower.
Even beyond the star power, the Bucks boast veteran role players like Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, and Bobby Portis—guys who know their roles and have thrived in high-pressure moments. Middleton, in particular, looked healthier toward the end of last season and is still capable of providing steady secondary scoring and playmaking. Lopez continues to anchor the paint with elite rim protection and floor spacing. Portis brings energy and toughness off the bench. This isn’t some pieced-together roster full of question marks; it’s a squad filled with battle-tested veterans who’ve been to the mountaintop before.
The idea that Milwaukee isn’t a top-10 team, let alone a top-5 team, is a flawed assessment. Power rankings are inherently speculative, but they should still be grounded in logic. Milwaukee has one of the highest floors in the NBA. When healthy, the Bucks are nearly impossible to beat in a seven-game series unless you have both elite wing defenders and the ability to keep up offensively—which only a handful of teams can realistically do.
Let’s also take a moment to examine the teams ESPN placed ahead of Milwaukee. Are we truly to believe that squads like the New Orleans Pelicans, Indiana Pacers, or even the Los Angeles Clippers are more formidable than the Bucks? While those teams have exciting pieces and bright futures, none have the proven championship infrastructure that Milwaukee possesses. The Clippers, for instance, are consistently undermined by injury woes and postseason inconsistency. The Pacers and Pelicans are fun and young, but they haven’t even sniffed a conference finals, much less proven themselves on the sport’s biggest stage.
There’s also a dangerous tendency to assume that because a team didn’t live up to expectations in the previous postseason, they’ve somehow permanently fallen off. That’s a mistake. History tells us that great teams bounce back. The Bucks’ 2021 championship wasn’t a fluke. It was the culmination of years of smart roster building, development, and star power. The core of that championship team remains intact. Dismissing them based on one bad series—especially one hampered by injury—is shortsighted.
And let’s not forget Giannis himself. This is a player who, when healthy, gives Milwaukee a chance to win every single night. He plays with relentless intensity, sets the tone for the entire locker room, and has made it clear that he’s still hungry for more. Lillard, meanwhile, has waited his entire career for a legitimate shot at a title. That kind of motivation, when paired with skill, is dangerous. It’s the kind of formula that leads to deep playoff runs and possibly even another title parade in Milwaukee.
Yes, the Bucks have things to prove. But so does every other team in the league. The difference is that Milwaukee has already proven it before—and not long ago. They’re not trying to find their identity. They know who they are: a tough, physical, high-IQ team with one of the most unguardable players in the world. The foundation is there. The talent is there. The drive is there. What’s missing is the respect.
There’s no way to justify placing 13 teams ahead of Milwaukee without leaning heavily on conjecture or speculative “what ifs.” That’s not analysis; that’s guesswork. When healthy and fully locked in, the Bucks are a nightmare matchup. They have shooting, size, defense, and elite playmaking. That combination doesn’t come around often, and it certainly shouldn’t be ranked 14th in the league.
The NBA landscape is always evolving, and yes, new contenders will emerge. But until proven otherwise, the Milwaukee Bucks should remain at the forefront of any championship conversation. They’re not perfect, but no team is. What they are, however, is experienced, talented, hungry, and capable of beating anyone when the lights are brightest. If that doesn’t make you a top-5 team, then maybe it’s time to reevaluate what these rankings are really measuring.
So, to ESPN and any other media outlet sleeping on Milwaukee: be careful. The Bucks have heard the noise. They’ve seen the rankings. And they’ll be ready. Giannis doesn’t forget slights. Lillard plays with a chip on his shoulder. The team has something to prove, and now they have all the bulletin-board material they need.
Fourteenth? That’s not just too low. That’s an insult. And the Bucks will make sure everyone remembers just how wrong it was.
