Milwaukee Bucks Roundtable: Discussing the head coach search so far

2. How much do you think the Bucks could realistically improve with the addition of a new head coach, without making any major structural changes to the current roster?

MH: With this roster, if things go well I think they can achieve 8-10 more wins, and a top-five seed in the East. I think the offense will come easier and the defense will be a little better. They’ll still have rebounding issues and will be outclassed by the league’s top teams. Barring changes by the other teams, I don’t think that a coaching change will get the Bucks past the Celtics, Sixers, Raptors, and Cavs on paper. It’s a new landscape in the East, and I think the Bucks should be proud to hang with those teams in the regular season. When it gets to the playoffs they’ll have a shot against anybody.

BS: As proved by the Bucks’ first round exit to the under-strength Boston Celtics, a good coach can be the difference between winning and losing in this league. The Celtics were without two All-Stars and still beat a fully healthy Bucks team, with arguably a top-5 player in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Quite simply, Brad Stevens got absolutely every drop he could out of his players while Joe Prunty struggled to match that output all series. I’m not saying the next coach Milwaukee hires has to be as good as Stevens, but the sky’s the limit for the Bucks with a player like Giannis on their roster. If they nail the next coach, a championship could be on the cards in the future.

BP: I think with some improved coaching, a 50-win season could be in play and would be a perfect goal for the next season. I’m expecting the next coach to install an actual offensive system and combine that with a logical defense. Along with some internal roster improvement and better late-game management, 50 wins, a top-four seed, and (finally) a first-round victory would all be manageable goals.

JT: As we saw in this year’s playoffs, the top end of the roster wasn’t really the problem for the Bucks. Well, outside of Eric Bledsoe opting to get into the strangest petty war at the most inopportune time. Through all of the inconsistencies and the depth issues they experienced this year, the Bucks making something of a seven-game series, granted against a shorthanded Celtics team, shows they’re knocking on the door to something. What kind of door that is, what’s behind that door and why it’s painted a strange fuchsia color is another question entirely.

LW: I think the improvement will be huge. Even if that is only a 5-6 game difference in the regular season. The playoffs is where it will be most noticeable.

AM: The reality is the Bucks have been playing at a disadvantage for a couple of years now. Giannis Antetokounmpo is already one of the most dominant players in the NBA and yet the Bucks haven’t been able to take full advantage.

There’s a significant jump there for the taking if the Bucks can find a coach capable of solidifying things on both ends, while also helping to build a resilience and a mindset that can lead to more consistency over the course of 82 games.