Behind the Bucks Pass
Fansided

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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MILWAUKEE, WI – MAY 21: (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI – MAY 21: (Photo by Gary Dineen/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Welcome to Milwaukee, Coach Bud

After they bowed out of the playoffs with a thud in Game 7 of their first round series against the Boston Celtics, everyone’s attention turned toward the coaching search the Bucks undertook days into their offseason.

The Bucks’ head coaching vacancy had long been talked about as one of, if not, the most desirable opening in the NBA coaching ranks, given the prospect of being able to work with a rare foundational piece such as superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.

As details emerged over the process of finding the team’s next head coach, a wide net was certainly cast, one that centered more on candidates carrying prior coaching experience (though, the inclusion of current San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon brought on plenty of attention, for both good and predictably disgusting reasons).

Throughout it all, however, one candidate continued to be linked to the job, that being Mike Budenholzer. Fresh off completing his five-year reign helming the Atlanta Hawks, Budenholzer carried a level of pedigree, one that included Coach of the Year honors, that certainly seemed tailor-made for where the Bucks were at in their trajectory.

The Bucks weren’t the only team linked to Budenholzer as all three of the Phoenix Suns, the New York Knicks and the Toronto Raptors targeted the 48-year-old throughout their respective coaching searches. But one by one, the Knicks and Suns took themselves out of the running with their hires, leaving the Bucks and Raptors to vie for Budenholzer’s services.

In the end, the stars aligned for the Bucks as they officially tagged Budenholzer to become the team’s 16th head coach in franchise history on May 17. Although it’s only burgeoning at this stage, the early fruits of the Budenholzer-Bucks era have gone about as well as anyone could have expected when he first arrived to the organization.

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