Milwaukee Bucks: Restoring confidence is key for Tony Snell

In order to get past the struggles he experienced throughout last season, it’s pivotal for Milwaukee Bucks swingman Tony Snell to regain confidence in his optimal role, especially with the arrival of new head coach Mike Budeholzer.

As is the case around the entire NBA at this point in the offseason, the major moves related to the Milwaukee Bucks are seemingly over and done with.

Of course, the Bucks’ most high profile addition dates back to mid-May with the hiring of new head coach Mike Budenholzer. The drafting of Donte DiVincenzo, the re-re-return of Ersan Ilyasova and the highly regarded pickup of veteran big man Brook Lopez followed in late June and into early July as we rolled on through this year’s draft and into this current free agency period.

On the outgoing front, the departure of forward Jabari Parker, who has officially returned home to play for the Chicago Bulls, put a close to a tenure that stands unfulfilled, in large part due to the two torn ACLs he suffered during his four years in Milwaukee.

So while some minor threads still hang at this point in time, the Bucks’ roster remains largely unchanged, which is reinforced by their standing in NBA.com’s John Schuhmann yearly continuity rankings:

As a result, the Bucks will be banking on (or forced to, considering their cap situation) growing from within. In the case of one Tony Snell, however, the five-year swingman will be looking to regain what he lost as last season wore on.

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Much has been made from pundits and fans around the league regarding the change over from the Jason Kidd regime to the arrival of Budenholzer as it relates to the Bucks’ cornerstones in superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.

Although Antetokounmpo and Middleton will be leaned on to carve out a path towards competing in the East at the very least, bringing Coach Bud into the mix must come as a breath of fresh air for a player like Snell.

After all, Snell dealt with his fair share of struggles following his career year back in 2016-17 and subsequently lost his standing in the eyes of both Kidd and Joe Prunty as he shuffled through the team’s starting lineup for periods during last season and in the playoffs.

The same eventually applied to Bucks fans too as Snell’s three-point shooting inconsistencies and occasional reluctance to let it fly from that level of the floor cut across one of the few responsibilities he holds on the offensive end, seeing that he registered a career-low 10.6 usage percentage last year.

Add in the element of it being Snell’s first year under his four-year, $44 million deal, which he minted a little more than a year ago after he stood as the team’s free agent priority, and many Bucks fans have now lumped him alongside the team’s other unfavorable deals on their books from their collective perception.

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While the value of the former Lobo’s deal will continue to be fodder for fans in future comversations regarding the Bucks’ cap, there’s no question Snell’s fit can be reconciled and be reoptimized under Budenholzer and co.

Considering Budenholzer and his staff’s history in player development and as wing whisperers during their time with the Atlanta Hawks over the last five seasons, Snell stands in line to directly benefit from their shared wisdom as they implement effective strategies to best utilize this roster’s talents headlined by Antetokounmpo.

Snell may stand as a small piece to that puzzle the Bucks’ new coaching staff is brainstorming to crack at this stage, but rehabilitating his function within the roster is as key as any of the Bucks’ fledgling players making their mark within the team’s rotation.

In fact, you can look to an answer from Budenholzer’s introductory press conference from late May regarding helping players unlock their potential and apply it to Snell to some capacity, given his battles with confidence and the mental aspect of the game:

"“I think there’s a daily approach that our players, our staff and people with the organization will see starting with me. There’s an approach to player development that’s as simple as giving it time every day, but then I think there’s building confidence in them and giving them opportunities. Teaching, holding them accountable, you know, all of those things that are really just a part of coaching. I think if you’re going to unlock potential and take players and teams to the next level, which we hope to do here, those things become critical.”"

As he’s stated publicly many times before, Snell adheres to putting his team above himself for the sake of winning and that certainly won’t change in the wake of Budenholzer becoming the fifth coach of what will be his six-year career when next season rolls around.

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At this point, it remains to be seen whether Snell, with the guidance of Budenholzer and staff, will pick himself back up in the vein of him rushing to help a fallen teammate on the court.