Mike Budenholzer gave his most wide-ranging interview since becoming Milwaukee Bucks head coach on The Woj Pod last week. What did we learn about the new head coach, though?
As Milwaukee Bucks fans continue to get acclimated to Mike Budenholzer as their team’s new head coach, the past week or so has offered a great opportunity to get to know him, and his basketball philosophies, a little better.
Not only did Budenholzer’s staff, headed up by assistant coach Taylor Jenkins, get to show glimpses of how the new Bucks may play during NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, but Budenholzer, himself, also gave his most extensive and detailed national interview since taking the job too.
That interview came with the NBA’s leading news-breaker Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, on a recent episode of his podcast, The Woj Pod.
More from Bucks News
- Bucks 2023-24 player profile: Can MarJon Beauchamp take a leap?
- Piecing together the Milwaukee Bucks’ dream starting 5 in 5 years
- Predicting Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s 2023-24 stats for the Bucks
- Grade the trade: Bucks land reputable backup guard in swap with Pacers
- New workout video should have Milwaukee Bucks fans excited
There were a lot of interesting sound bites throughout the segment that can give Bucks fans some insight on the team and what they can expect from coach Budenholzer next season and beyond. You can listen to the full 45-minute podcast here.
Wojnarowski asked a lot of compelling questions regarding the Milwaukee Bucks and Budenholzer’s new role with the organization, while for those who aren’t all that familiar with the new coach as a person, there’s plenty of background info to be learned from the episode too.
So, without further ado, let’s take a closer look at some of the most interesting quotes and details to emerge from the interview.
Assistant coaches are key
When asked about the challenges of being a first-time head coach in the NBA, Bud stressed the importance of choosing the right supporting cast around him:
"“The other big part of being a first-time head coach is putting together a staff. It’s hard to put into words how important that is, and I was very, very fortunate to bring five of my six guys from Atlanta.”"
The Bucks were able to bring over Bud’s former assistant coaches Darvin Ham, Patrick St. Andrews, Taylor Jenkins, Ben Sullivan and Charles Lee from Atlanta. Each were key cogs in what Bud was able to accomplish with the Hawks.
Having the right coaching staff in place is almost as important as having coach Budenholzer himself, since a lot of the execution of his vision will be carried out by them.
The Bucks were fortunate enough to be able to retain five of his six assistants in Atlanta, and Budenholzer noted how this should make things considerably easier for him to begin with in Milwaukee, compared to his time with the Hawks.
The Bucks also added former Erie BayHawks head coach Josh Longstaff, who coached the Hawks’ G-League affiliate in the final year of Budenholzer’s tenure in Atlanta.
More talent to work with
Continuing on the theme of how this situation compares to his last job, Bud noted the Bucks have a much more talented and solidified roster than the one he inherited in Atlanta:
"“The thing that’s been unique about Milwaukee is trying to figure out how we can use Giannis and all the different things that they have on their roster, and it’s a much more put together roster. I think when I went to Atlanta there was a lot of question marks. We could go a lot of different directions.”"
Having a guy like Giannis Antetokounmpo on your team drastically increases the schematic options you have on both ends of the court. Budenholzer was able to coach a team, whose best player was Paul Millsap, to 60 wins and the best record in the Eastern Conference during the 2014-15 season.
This offseason, the Bucks have prioritized surrounding Giannis with shooters with the signings of center Brook Lopez and power forward/center Ersan Ilyasova and the drafting of Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo.
By adding capable floor spacers, Budenholzer will try to maximize Giannis’ talent by giving him plenty of room to operate in the paint.
It will be interesting to see how he chooses to utilize Giannis as he has never had the opportunity to coach a player of his caliber before.
Milwaukee is so lucky to have Giannis
Here’s what Budenholzer had to say on the Bucks’ young superstar:
"“He puts in the time and the work and the effort. He’s blown me away with his work ethic. We’ve joked, he’s a great problem. We may be trying to ask him to work a little bit less or trying to figure out how we can keep him where he’s feeling great and his body’s grown and his body’s feeling well going into the season. His work rate and his work ethic is just off the charts, and it’s all about wanting to be great, wanting to win, wants the team, the organization (to win). There’s a genuineness to it that unless you sit across a table from him or after a workout you’re talking with him, you feel it, and that’s what’s blown me away.”"
For as much as his skill-set and physical gifts are talked about, Giannis’ work ethic and attitude are equally impressive. Not only did the Bucks manage to stumble upon a generational talent, but they found a high-character guy who strives for greatness and works hard every day.
Secondly, Budenholzer mentioned keeping Giannis as fresh as possible, something many would like to see after he was run ragged last season under Jason Kidd.
Keeping his minutes under control and limiting him more in practice could help his ankle issues as the long 82-game regular season drags along. Fresh legs can pay significant dividends come playoffs.
Budenholzer went on to talk about just how special Giannis’ work ethic and attention to detail are:
"“He is the epitome of in the gym and putting in extra time and extra effort. Talking with our strength and conditioning coach Suki the other day, she gives him all the credit in the world and how he allots time for lifting. He doesn’t want to lift before practice because he doesn’t want to affect or be in any way tired or anything. He doesn’t want to lift after practice because he might be tired from practice, and when he does something, he does it to the nth degree, whether it be lifting or practice or player development, his work ethic is just really special.”"
All this makes sense for a guy who has gotten increasingly better in each of his five seasons. The Bucks are lucky to have such a special player.
Blowing it up is the last resort
Woj asked Bud about how he felt about the mindset of “championship or bust” in the league today and about his experience having to rebuild in Atlanta at the end of his tenure there:
"“If it’s championship or bust, if that’s an organization, and certainly a fan base wants to know and believe that you’re pushing for a championship, and that’s your ultimate goal… Nobody is just handing over a series or handing over championships, and we all feel like we’re in the mix. So, I think that there’s an argument when you have really good teams, to keep them to together and keep pushing the envelope and keep seeing if you can knock that door down… I think to have teams that are having a lot of success in the regular season, a lot of wins, advancing in the playoffs, teams with great character that I think the fan base and city can be proud of, that’s what made it even harder (to tear it down in Atlanta)… I do have something of that idealistic, you know, there’s something to be said for a team that plays well all year, that competes well, that plays together night after night and giving you everything they’ve got and maximizing what they have and trying to make progress.”"
It’s quite common in today’s NBA for fan bases to call for franchises to tear it all down if they feel that their core can’t win a championship. Toronto is a perfect example.
The Raptors had the best record in the Eastern Conference last year, much like Budenholzer’s Hawks team in 2014-15, but were swept by LeBron James’ Cavaliers in the second round of the playoffs.
As a result, many think the Raptors should break up their core of Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan and Serge Ibaka despite them making major strides last year.
Budenholzer believes in a more patient approach. He believes in continuing to push a group of players forward and maximizing their talents.
Rebuilding can be a long process, and you may not find another star player for years. Drafting is not an exact science, and sometimes teams can get stuck in that rebuilding process for a very long time.
The Orlando Magic have never regained their footing since the departure of Dwight Howard. The Sacramento Kings have missed on lottery pick after lottery pick since drafting DeMarcus Cousins.
This is not to say Bud doesn’t care about championships, but he thinks there are ways to get to that level through steady development and patience. All it takes is for things to break right for you one year.
Fortunately, as long as the Bucks have a player like Giannis, they shouldn’t feel the need to blow it up anytime soon.
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.
Targeting self-motivated players
Woj asked Bud about the role of motivation in being a coach at the NBA level. Bud learned from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich that sometimes less is more when it comes to motivating players:
"“Every coach, it seems like you’re every day supposed to come up with something motivating or something super insightful, and reality is, you’re probably not going to do it, and so I think to keep things fairly simple, fairly clean, to the point, I think the players actually respect and crave that more than anything. If you’re just talking to fill air or trying to come up with something, after a while it doesn’t have much of a shelf life in my experiences and observations, and that’s for sure part of why Pop has been able to have such sustained success. It’s very direct and to the point. There’s not a lot of fluff or extra noise, and I think for especially pros and guys who are really intelligent, I think they really respect that, and when you do speak, it’s more powerful.”"
He also mentioned that he likes to coach guys who are self-motivated and bring that competitive edge daily:
"“You seek out players that are self-starters, and you seek out players that are really competitors is the word I like to use, we use a lot. Real competitors are usually self-motivated, but I do think great coaches are also motivators, and there’s no doubt, as much as all coaches try and probably downplay it a little bit, motivation is part of it, even at the highest levels and our level. Finding ways to keep guys engaged… I don’t lean on that card very hard, but I think to say that there’s none of that or it’s not part of my responsibilities or any coach’s responsibilities would probably be unwise also.”"
The recurring mantra regarding ideal player personnel during Jon Horst’s tenure as GM has been “high-character competitors.” That sentiment is very much echoed in what Budenholzer says here.
The drafting of Donte DiVincenzo in this year’s draft is a prime example of that player archetype. Despite there being arguably more talented and intriguing prospects on the board when the Bucks picked, the front office opted to go with a guy who they knew was going to bring a high level of competitiveness.
Whether that is the correct strategy going into draft night is very much up for debate, but regardless of how you feel about it, look for the Bucks to continue to have this mindset moving forward.
There were a lot of interesting topics addressed by the Bucks’ new head coach throughout this podcast. If you would like to listen to the full episode, Woj and Bud discuss much more about his time under Popovich with the Spurs, his experiences in Atlanta and the NBA in general.
Next: Milwaukee Bucks: Bidding farewell to Jabari Parker
For Bucks fans, it gives some deeper insight on Budenholzer’s vision for the team and what can be expected during his tenure in Milwaukee.