Milwaukee Bucks: What we learned from Mike Budenholzer on The Woj Pod

Bud believes in the Bucks’ upper management

While many Bucks fans have questioned the competency of the new front office and general manager Jon Horst, Bud seems to believe in the collaborative culture they are building in Milwaukee:

"“Jon Horst as the GM, and Wes Edens and Marc Lasry and Jamie Dinan as the owners, they’ve been great so far. The energy with the front office and Jon has just been off the charts. It just feels like a great fit. Their work ethic, their process, the way he includes people and does everything, and really the way I think they genuinely want to value my opinion, my vision for how we want to play, what kind of players are going to fit, and balance that with what they think. They’ve been watching this team, some of them for quite a while and what it needs, and so I couldn’t be happier with the synergy between Jon and myself and his entire staff and diving in with them. I think they probably are laughing at me in some of the meetings and some of the crazy things that I think and see, but I think we’re all open to everybody’s ideas, and I think that’s how you get the best out of a group. Get a lot of smart people in a room, empower them, make them feel like they matter, and their opinions are important. It could come from anywhere, a great idea, and I think that’s what’s happening in Milwaukee.”"

It may give Bucks fans some hope that a smart basketball mind like Budenholzer is impressed with what the Bucks’ front office has put together. In fact, he has noted his fit with the front office as part of what drew him to Milwaukee.

Bud clearly values collaboration and bringing a diverse set of perspectives to the table during decision-making. It was a big part of what made Atlanta successful during his tenure there.

Judging by the Bucks’ offseason moves thus far, it seems Bud has been heavily involved in the decision-making processes. The Bucks have gone after players that fit his floor-spreading style of offense such as Ersan Ilyasova and Brook Lopez who can both step out behind the arc and knock down shots.

Only time will tell how well these moves will pan out, but for now, Bucks fans can take solace in the fact that the front office is working in cohesion with Bud’s vision for the team moving forward.