The season looked to be going so well for the Milwaukee Bucks and their head coach Mike Budenholzer. The No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs, and the team with the best record in the NBA for the second consecutive year, were the favourites to clinch the NBA title and take home their second championship in three years. But Miami Heat hadn’t read the script.
The number 8 seeds sealed a shock 4-1 series victoryover the Bucks with a 128-126 overtime win that dramatically upset the NBA Championship odds. The defeat meantthe Bucks became just the sixth No 1 seed to lose to a No 8 seed in the opening round, and the only No. 1 seed that failed to win more than one playoff game. Missing out on the Eastern Conference finals for the third time under Mike Budenholzer, saw the head coach leave the club with one year still left on his contract.
Tough Decision
in a statement announcing the move, Bucks general manager Jon Horst said “The decision to make this change was very difficult. Bud helped lead our team for five incredible seasons, to the Bucks’ first title in 50 years, and into an era of sustained success. We are grateful for the culture of winning and leadership that Bud helped create in Milwaukee.This is an opportunity for us to refocus and re-energize our efforts as we continue building toward our next championship season.”
Bucks Success
Budenholzer joined the Bucks back in 2018 after spending five seasons as the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks. He quickly transformed the Bucks into a powerhouse in the East, leading them to a 60-win season in his first year and earning the NBA Coach of the Year award. He also helped develop Giannis Antetokounmpo into a two-time MVP and a dominant force on both ends of the floor.
Budenholzer was widely praised for his offensive system, but he also instilled a defensive identity for the Bucks, who ranked among the top teams in defensive rating and rebounding during his tenure. His record over the last five years is impressive.
- Winning four consecutive Central Division titles and two regular season conference titles
- Posting a 271-120 record, the best winning percentage (.693) in franchise history
- Winning an NBA championship in 2021, the first for the Bucks since 1971
- Overcoming a 2-0 deficit against the Phoenix Suns in the Finals, becoming only the fifth team in NBA history to do so
- Led the team to a playoff berth in all five of his seasons.
- Bucks were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference in three of those years and has been a top-three seed in all five.
Ultimately, that success brought huge expectations and the Bucks failure to fulfil their championship winning potential has seen Budenholzer pay with his job. When asked to respond to the news, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr said: “My first response is not shock but disappointment … this is the business we’re in. Expectations for every team are so high, and only one team can win. We all believe Bud deserved better, but we’re all aware this is the job we chose.”
Warning Signs
However, Budenholzer also faced criticism from some corners for his lack of adjustments and flexibility in the postseason. Some of his questionable decisions included:
- Sticking with his regular season rotations and minutes distribution, even when some players were struggling or injured
- Not utilizing Antetokounmpo more as a ball-handler or a post-up threat, especially against smaller defenders
- Not exploiting mismatches or exploiting opponents’ weaknesses
- Not calling timeouts or making substitutions at crucial moments
- Not experimenting with different line-ups or schemes
- Lack of versatility on offense, with expertsarguing that Budenholzer’s reliance on the “Giannis wall” made the team too predictable
The playoff defeat to the Heat was the final straw, with their 16-point collapse in the fourth quarterthe second straight late double-digit meltdown by Milwaukee. Fans were also critical of Budenholzer for not calling timeouts at the end of regulation and overtime, however news that one of Budenholzer’s brothers died in a car accident before Game 4 of the first-round playoff series must also be taken into account.
Who’s Next?
It is one of the most coveted NBA jobs around which means there will be no shortage of candidates to fill the role, especially with a roster featuring former MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Bobby Portis. But who out there can bring the Bucks the success they crave?
Favourites for Bucks head Coach:
- Nick Nurse
- Charles Lee
- Kenny Atkinson
- Becky Hammon
- David Adelman
- Frank Vogel
- Mike D’Antoni
Nurse is the stand out candidate and knows how to lead a team to win the NBA Finals as he did with the Raptors in 2019, and he’s coached star players in the past. The former Toronto head coachspent five seasons with the Raptorsand guided the Raptors to three playoff appearances, two Atlantic Division titles, an Eastern Conference title, and the 2019 championship. Whoever gets the job at the Milwaukee Bucks, they have big shoes to fill.
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