Milwaukee Bucks Roundtable: Discussing the head coach search so far
By Adam McGee
1. What would be your top priority in assessing candidates if you were responsible for finding the Bucks’ next head coach?
Matt Henriksen (@matthenriksen): It’s very hard to put a single characteristic on top, considering the Bucks have lacked in so many areas associated with good coaching. I guess what I want most is a coach who manages to get the whole roster engaged and feeling good about playing with each other. I want to see attention to detail, regardless of the schemes the Bucks end up using, from the starters to the end of the bench. I just think it’s hard to get that unless the players are happy and enthusiastic, so above all I’d like a certain personality that’s very optimistic and inclusive.
Ben Sewell (@pencil2292): What are your plans for Giannis Antetokounmpo and how can you make him work with the current roster. It’s as simple as that. The Bucks have invested heavily (maybe too much) in this current roster and as a result, there is not a lot of room to wriggle at this stage. Giannis is also out of contract in three years time, meaning that Milwaukee has three years to prove to him they can win. Ownership shouldn’t settle until they find a candidate that can find a way to win with Giannis and this current squad.
Bob Polglaze (@Bob Polglaze): My top priority would be a candidate that could maximize the offensive talent on the roster, specifically Giannis Antetokounmpo. Giannis has taken massive steps in each of the last two years, and helped lead the Bucks to the seventh best offense in the NBA this year while working extremely hard for everything. I think an offensive system that makes everything a little easier for him while also helping the players around him gets the Bucks to a top-five offense, which is their most clear path to a top-tier ranking in either offense or defense.
Jordan Treske (@JordanTreske): As Matt started off saying, it’s hard to prioritize just one characteristic and/or area that needs addressing from any coaching candidate. With that said, I’ve been leaning toward someone who has a rich pedigree of development/helping mold role players into useful contributors.
Perhaps that’s a product of watching the Boston Celtics in this year’s playoffs or the times catching the Toronto Raptors during the regular season, but with the Bucks needing to maximize this window under Giannis, they’re in need of molding inexperienced or inconsistent players into reliable contributors around their superstar. With the cap crunch they’re dealing with this summer as Ben alluded to, improvement from within will be absolutely vital in order to forge out a path toward consistency and so on.
Leander Wallace (@LeanderWallace): My top priority would be finding someone who has an offensive and defensive scheme that checks out in the modern NBA and has proven to be able to develop talent.
Adam McGee (@AdamMcGee11): Considering where the Bucks have come from, a coach with the basketball IQ and self-awareness to not only adapt, but to know when to adapt would be my top priority.
The Bucks obviously need a coach who can come in and overhaul their system on both ends of the floor, but I’d be wary of placing too much emphasis on the philosophies of any one candidate. The game changes, opposing teams adjust, and my hope is the Bucks will have a coach who won’t just make great initial adjustments to open up next season, but will also be able to beat the counters that are thrown at them as time goes on.