Behind the Bucks Pass
Fansided

Milwaukee Bucks: Top 10 moments of 2017-18 regular season

By Ben Sewell

Milwaukee, WI - APRIL 27: A general view of the arena before the game between the Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks during Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2017 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Milwaukee, WI - APRIL 27: A general view of the arena before the game between the Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks during Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2017 NBA Playoffs on April 27, 2017 at the BMO Harris Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
11 of 11
Next
EVANSVILLE, IN – OCTOBER 12: (Photo by Joe Robbins/NBAE via Getty Images)
EVANSVILLE, IN – OCTOBER 12: (Photo by Joe Robbins/NBAE via Getty Images) /

1. Coach Kidd gets Fired

Undoubtedly the biggest moment of this season was the firing of former head coach Jason Kidd. Kidd had taken the league by storm when he first entered Milwaukee by taking the worst team in the league back to the playoffs in one swift season. The Hall of Fame point guard was being lauded by the entire basketball world as a genius for his defensive schemes and ability to get the best of out of young core players.

Milwaukee finished the season with 41 wins and went toe-to-toe with the Chicago Bulls in the first round of the playoffs, eventually losing 4-2. Most impressive however was the defense as Milwaukee finished the season with the second best defensive rating in the league. This radical swarming defense that Kidd and his staff had constructed was making headlines around the league.

That was undoubtedly the height of Kidd’s tenure in Milwaukee as he swiftly fell back to the earth the following season as Milwaukee slumped to a 33-49 record and missed the playoffs. Milwaukee’s briefly esteemed defense also began to fall off a cliff as they finished the season with a 22nd ranked defense. Alarm bells began ringing around the Bucks fandom that Kidd was not the brilliant coach we all thought he was.

The following year, on the back of a miraculous late season fightback, Milwaukee re-entered the playoffs with a record of 42-40. The Bucks finished the month of March with a 14-4 record as Kidd was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month. Many fans were skeptical of just how influential Kidd had been to this run. But what it did do however was silence the calls for his firing as Milwaukee had made definite strides and now boasted a bonafide superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Entering this season, Kidd had it all to do with ownership publicly floating goals of a 50-win season and a play-off series win. In truth, Kidd never came close to matching either of those goals as he was promptly removed from his post with the Bucks sitting at a record of 24-22 and their place in the playoffs hanging precariously.

From when Kidd entered Milwaukee to now, there has been an enormously positive change. Antetokounmpo is an MVP calibre talent and is surrounded by capable help in Khris Middleton and Jabari Parker, both of whom were developed under Kidd’s watchful eye. The argument can certainly be made that none of these three players would be who they are today without Kidd’s influence.

But as far as any of the strides the team has made more recently, that has very little to do with Kidd and more to do with the internal strides Antetokounmpo has made, along with the acquisition of Eric Bledsoe. On top of this, the Bucks’ defense has continued to float around the bottom 10 of the league this whole season. For a team as talented as the Bucks, there is no excuse for any coach to have such a poorly constructed defense running the floor night in and night out.

Next: Milwaukee Bucks: Bidding farewell to the BMO Harris Bradley Center

Quite frankly, the Bucks made the right decision in firing Kidd. One could argue it was a season too late but ownership eventually made the right call. Kidd was excellent for the franchise when he first entered the scene, but he outstayed his welcome a long time ago, and if this team is to start fulfilling their promise, Kidd was not the man for the job.

Home/Bucks News