The reaction of many to the first report of the Milwaukee Bucks’ coaching candidates was akin to a shrug of the shoulders. What exactly is it that everyone wanted, though?
Having essentially waited since Jason Kidd was fired in January for such news, the first report of candidates for the Milwaukee Bucks’ head coaching job was met with a surprising lack of enthusiasm by many on Thursday morning.
Bucks contingents on social media had been constantly chattering about potential candidates and the directions the franchise could opt for with their most important decision in years, yet when Mike Budenholzer, Steve Clifford, Monty Williams, David Blatt and David Fizdale (since hired by the Knicks) were listed as among the early contenders, the reaction seemed to be a collective shrug.
Every fanbase has a large variety of opinions coming from fans who view the team through very different prisms, and the Bucks are certainly no different.
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Still, the majority seemed to be underwhelmed by these options, albeit for different reasons.
Some may have been hoping for a bolder list of candidates including top assistants and college coaches — and they may still get their wish as the search continues — while others were hoping for more recognizable names with a certain kind of allure.
In short, the reaction suggested the initial candidates were safe and more than a little unexciting.
For the most part, that kind of thinking isn’t wrong. The names that have emerged so far have all been recent head coaches in the league, and generally stand as examples of coaches who’ve done very good, if unspectacular, jobs in less than glamorous NBA cities.
Basically, the Bucks’ shortlist so far has been comprised of coaches rather than personalities. They may be known commodities, but they’re not celebrity names designed to cause a stir. Considering what lies ahead for the Bucks and how the franchise ended up at this current point, that should probably be celebrated more than it has been, though.
The Bucks do not need another Jason Kidd. In that regard, the first names to emerge as candidates should have acted as cause for a significant sigh of relief. The likes of Rick Pitino or Mark Jackson are currently (*knocks on wood*) nowhere to be seen.
Likewise, while a bolder appointment could certainly pay dividends and result in great success down the line, the risk that comes with potentially getting this decision wrong doesn’t make it any easier to take a significant gamble. There’s certainly a valid argument to be made for why the Bucks need to opt for a more innovative move, but that has to come with an acceptance of what the cost could be if it all goes wrong.
That discussion is the shadow that looms large over the entire process. If this decision goes wrong, it could be one of the most significant factors in pushing Giannis Antetokounmpo toward the exit door when he hits free agency in 2021.
Led by Antetokounmpo, the Bucks have a roster that has a lot of potential, even though it remains largely imperfect. To mold that group into something greater, the Bucks don’t need an orator or a magician or a comedian. They certainly don’t need an uncontrollable ego.
The Bucks just need a real coach.
The early names reportedly being considered generally fit that bill. Perhaps the person who will ultimately end up with the job has yet to enter the discussion, but for all of the fears Bucks fans have had over how this decision would go, the start of the process should be seen as promising.
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It would be nice to see Milwaukee hire a quality coach capable of building an exciting team, but they don’t need an unnecessarily splashy or overthought move that could be considered as exciting, only to leave the franchise rooted further in mediocrity.