Milwaukee Bucks: Jon Horst talks challenges ahead of going into bubble
Speaking to the media Wednesday afternoon, Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst touched on all sorts of topics ahead of the team departing for Orlando.
At some point on Thursday, the Milwaukee Bucks will be in Orlando, and in the bubble set up ahead of the NBA’s season restart.
Ahead of the Bucks’ departure for central Florida, general manager Jon Horst spoke to local media and reporters Wednesday afternoon with much to talk about ahead of he and his team traveling and going into Walt Disney World.
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After all, the Bucks’ practice facility was shut down after a round of testing brought about a positive test earlier this week. Horst talked about the decision to shut down the facility, though without naming who among the team’s traveling party tested positive as Andrew Wagner of Madison.com recounted:
"“That’s why we made the decision to halt our operation here immediately,” Horst said. “We wanted to do the best we can and help the league as much as possible to get a healthy group into (the bubble).”"
And as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Matt Velazquez relayed, Horst confirmed that the Bucks’ 35-person travel party will likely not all be going to Disney World tomorrow, due to the positive test and having to follow the proper protocols that come with a positive test.
According to Jon Horst, the decision to shut down the practice facility a few days early shouldn’t have too much of an effect on the Milwaukee Bucks.
When asked whether having to shut down the practice facility will ultimately be a setback in the Bucks’ quest to regain their rhythm after such a lengthy layoff, Horst noted that those practice routines had essentially run its course as Wagner wrote the following:
"“That had in some ways run its course,” Horst said of the work being done in Milwaukee. “The league did a great job of getting us back on track, allowing people to come in to get treatment and training and start basketball activity.”"
In Orlando, of course, the Bucks will be joining the 21 other NBA teams in Disney World and with the topic of Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo’s future in Milwaukee on the minds of many, worries of tampering could theoretically keep Horst up at night.
But as The Athletic’s Eric Nehm tweeted, Horst is far from worried that any sort of tampering will unfold in Orlando and jokingly cited the social distancing rules as a big reason for it.
Lastly, it’s nearly been four months since the Bucks and the rest of the NBA were in action. For as long as the Bucks’ chase for a championship has been put on pause and playing in a totally different environment that no one could have imagined, Horst remains confident as ever that this Bucks squad has the pieces and formula in place to get the job done in Orlando:
"“We still have a top-five offense, a top-five defense,” Horst said. “We still have the best coach in the league and we still have the best player in the league. Those things won’t change just because we’re playing on a neutral court.”"
By setting off for Orlando, though not as ideally planned, the Bucks and the NBA have passed a crucial step in the league’s return-to-play plan. And now we’re three weeks away from the return of Bucks basketball.