“The clock is kind of ticking on this team!” - Zach Lowe gets real on the Milwaukee Bucks championship window

Being the oldest team in the NBA, there is not too much time for the Bucks to get a couple more banners with this core.

The Milwaukee Bucks won their first title under Giannis Antetokounmpo's leadership in 2021 but hit a roadblock against the Boston Celtics last season. With a player like Giannis on board, the franchise must capitalize on every season to build on its record. And some believe that the window is narrow.

Roster age is a slight concern

While the main ingredient of a championship roster is a high-performing superstar, having a strong supporting unit has become imperative. The Bucks organization has given that to Antetokounmpo over the last few seasons, with Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, and Brook Lopez – to name a few. However, most of them are veterans in the league who may soon show signs of slowing down.

"The clock is kind of ticking on this team in a way that might be sneaking up on people," Zach Lowe said on NBA Today. "I don't mean to be dramatic about it - it's not ticking that fast, but Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday; these guys are 30 or on the other side of 30. Brook Lopez is older."

"The team around Giannis is getting older, they've traded a lot of picks," he added. "If they don't win it this year or make a finals run this year, it just gets harder and harder every year."

The Bucks will soon have long-term decisions to make

Additionally, the Bucks have spent quite some time and money to make the roster a championship contender. Per Spotrac, the Bucks are reportedly sitting on a $69 million luxury tax bill, making winning now more crucial.

"It's kind of a low-key important year for the Bucks, because their ownership group has expended almost as far as they can go," Briand Windhorst highlighted. "They're deep in their tax - they gave Bobby Portis a contract, they gave Connaughton a contract; but they did not extend Khris Middleton."

Besides Middleton, Antetokounmpo might also be eligible for an extension after the 2022-23 season. How far the team will go this season will be vital in deciding the franchise's trajectory.

"Next summer is the first time Giannis can extend his contract - off the supermax," Windhorst added. "So, we are coming to a point of evaluation for Giannis on the Bucks next year."

The way Giannis is playing right now, nothing is stopping him from putting up an MVP-caliber season. However, in Giannis' words – "The last man standing matters." It will be interesting to see what kind of output the Bucks roster can generate this season.