Bucks co-owner Jamie Dinan preps for team's upcoming year

MILWAUKEE – Expectations will be high for the Milwaukee Bucks this season.

Before the regular season begins, FOX6’s Lily Zhao went one-on-one with Bucks co-owner Jamie Dinan to get a preview of the upcoming year.

FOX6’s Lily Zhao: “I’m here with Mr. Jamie Dinan ahead of a very fun Bucks media day and Jamie, when you’re looking at this team coming into the season, there’s obviously a big veteran group. You also bring in some free agents as well. Along with your rookie class, what gets you the most excited about this upcoming Bucks season?”

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“You know Lily, what I’m really excited about is the team is healthy,” said Jamie Dinan, Bucks co-owner. “I think we heard Doc talk about how in great shape Khris is, for example. Giannis is recovered, Dame is recovered. We’ve got a couple of new people on the team, Gary Trent Jr, played almost the whole season last year in Toronto. Got Taurean Prince, same thing, played almost every game with the Lakers last year. I think we’ve got some really good additions; we’ve got the core back together healthy. We got a really good team.”

FOX6’s Lily Zhao: “It’s been a busy 16 months with the coaching changes and all that, so how important is continuity for this team, to have Doc for a full offseason and have him here for the year?”

“You know, Doc is someone whom I’ve known forever by reputation,” said Dinan. “I only got to meet him for the first time last winter when he joined us. He’s obviously a terrific coach. He’s totally committed to this team and the organization and to winning. I think it’s going to be a big difference. I think this idea that Doc has come up with, which is really a first for this team. Offsite training camp, really team bonding, chemistry dynamics, he gets it. He has a formula and there are not too many coaches with Doc Rivers’ resume out there.”

FOX6’s Lily Zhao: “When you look at how this team has ended the last two postseasons, obviously it’s been tough, as Khris walks by, what gives you confidence that this is the year that you guys can make it back to where you want to be at the end of this thing?”

“In addition to some of these additions that I think we’ve picked up are strong at the two and the three positions,” said Dinan. “If you look at last year, our Big 3, Khris, Dame and Giannis only played like half the season, and yet we won twice as many games when they were on the court. None of these guys were necessarily at 100 percent, so we’ve got a core. I think we’re going to have a healthy core. The chemistry, if it’s there, the talent’s there, and maybe get a little lucky on the health side.”

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FOX6’s Lily Zhao: “We see guys walking down the hallway, obviously saying hi to you, what’s the energy, what’s the vibe you’re getting from the team so far before training camp?”

“I was here last week,” said Dinan. “I came here to see Jon Horst and Doc Rivers. I watched a full practice session. I would say it’s the most energetic practice session. I remember pre-training season in my 10 years here, and I was told that it was by far the best turned out preseason practice period that we’ve had. I think they’re energized, I’m energized, and I think the city of Milwaukee will be energized very shortly.”

Once the Bucks wrap up preseason play, they’ll tipoff the regular season on Oct. 23 in Philadelphia against the 76ers.