Behind the Bucks Pass
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End of deer list: 10 moments and milestones that defined the Milwaukee Bucks’ 2018

By Jordan Treske

DENVER, CO - November 11 : Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks high fives Tony Snell #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks on November 11, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - November 11 : Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks high fives Tony Snell #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks on November 11, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 20 : (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 20 : (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The firing of Jason Kidd

Three weeks and half a day into 2018, Jason Kidd’s time as Bucks head coach finally ran out on January 22.

Brought on under high-profile and certainly controversial circumstances back in early July 2014, the Hall of Fame point guard’s presence injected a new layer of visibility surrounding the Bucks, especially at a time when the team’s name held very little weight or relevance.

But as the Bucks’ regained their credibility in the ensuing seasons, largely due to the superstar ascendance of one Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kidd’s coaching tenure became fraught with curious coaching and disciplinary decisions and growing rumors of how far his influence went with certain personnel moves.

All of that certainly came to a head throughout Kidd’s stewardship of the team during the first couple months of the 2017-18 season. With the Bucks grappling with the weight of expectations following their surprising 42-win campaign in 2016-17, the Bucks under Kidd failed to establish any semblance of consistency, even after the high profile addition of veteran point guard Eric Bledsoe three weeks into the season.

That, in turn, raised the level of scrutiny of Kidd’s strange late game coaching decisions, which came at an increasing rate during his last handful of games. Additionally, Kidd’s rationale and suspect pleas for why the team had clearly plateaued under his watch only drew the fury and growing disenchantment of Bucks fans who desired to see the 44-year-old be relieved of his duties.

Upon Kidd’s firing, first-year general manager Jon Horst entrusted Kidd’s lead assistant coach, Joe Prunty, to see out the rest of the season and Kidd left the Bucks with a 139-152 coaching record, which equated to a 47.8 winning percentage.

Now nearly a year after Kidd’s exit from the Bucks, it’s safe to say no one here is left devastated by his departure, that is if they ever were to begin with.

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