Anonymous agents in a survey conducted by The Athletic gave their thoughts on Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer after these playoffs.
Since the Milwaukee Bucks were upset in the second round by the Miami Heat, head coach Mike Budenholzer has been at the forefront of any criticism facing the Bucks.
The biggest knock on the coach was how he managed minutes for Milwaukee’s stars throughout the first two rounds of the postseason. Giannis Antetokounmpo, this season’s MVP and Defensive Player of the Year winner, played a playoff career-low 30.8 minutes per game across nine contests. Co-star Khris Middleton saw just 35.5 minutes per game himself, two moves that proved to be headscratchers as Milwaukee’s losses piled up.
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When asked about the limited minutes for his stars, Budenholzer said that playing 35-36 minutes was “pushing the ceiling” for his team.
These comments fueled further outrage, as on the other side of the ball, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler averaged 36.6 minutes in the series and ultimately dismantled the Bucks in closing situations. All while Bucks starting wing Wesley Matthews sat on the sidelines for Games 1 and 3, specifically.
Following Milwaukee’s 4-1 series defeat, the lack of adjustments seemed reminiscent of the team’s previous failure in last season’s playoffs. With a 2-0 lead against the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals, Toronto made the proper adjustments and reeled off four straight wins to send the Bucks packing. Similarly to that, Budenholzer elected to stand pat with his established ideals until the very bitter end.
After taking a step backward from last year, fans were calling for the firing of Budenholzer, justifiably frustrated by the lack of postseason success. However, it appears that Mike Budenholzer’s job as Milwaukee’s head coach is reportedly safe, for now.
With two straight postseason blunders being added to Mike Budenholzer’s resume, two anonymous agents weighed in on his reputation.
In a recent survey done by The Athletic’s Ben Standig, Mike Vorkunov, and more ($$), 19 anonymous agents voted on the player or coach that changed their opinion the most in the NBA restart. Budenholzer received two votes, but not in the most positive of lights.
One agent detailed how he believes Budenholzer is the best coach in the NBA, but his lack of necessary postseason adjustments over the years with both the Bucks and previously with the Atlanta Hawks is a substantial issue. Another followed suit, saying that the two-time Coach of the Year winner is fantastic in the regular season but “unadaptable” in the playoffs.
In Budenholzer’s first two seasons with the Bucks, that has certainly been the case. Milwaukee is more dominant than ever behind Budenholzer’s offensive and defensive teachings in the regular season, accumulating a 116-39 record since Bud took the reigns.
Still, they are easy to figure out for opposing teams as soon as the playoffs roll around, and the lack of minutes for his best players has not helped the cause, especially after this latest collapse. Heading into a pivotal year three in Milwaukee, only time will tell if Mike Budenholzer can turn things around after two disappointing postseason finishes.
With Antetokounmpo’s long-term future in Milwaukee at stake, Budenholzer has no choice but to learn from the error of his ways after yet another glaring playoff failure on his resume.