Milwaukee Bucks: 3 questions following Eastern Conference Semifinals

 How will Mike Budenholzer handle the Milwaukee Bucks’ rotation?

Budenholzer has been criticized on multiple occasions for his handling of the playoff rotation on multiple occasions.

In fact, his distribution of minutes to players might be the biggest knock on his coaching philosophy throughout his postseason career, most notably his unwillingness to give his stars big minutes when they are needed most. Thankfully, he threw those ideals out the window in the team’s second round set with the Nets, likely understand that the outcome of this series would almost certainly dictate his future with the franchise.

Letting his stars run free, Khris Middleton averaged 42.1 minutes, Antetokounmpo averaged 40.1 minutes, and Holiday averaged 39.8 minutes per game across these seven games. Those hefty minutes to the Big 3 are a big change from what fans had gotten accustomed to seeing from Budenholzer previously. In fact, the coach practically shortened his rotation to six players across the final two games in this series, with Pat Connaughton being the only reserve to receive much burn off the bench.

That meant Bobby Portis and Bryn Forbes, two key role players during the regular season, spent a massive amount of time spectating from the sidelines. It was particularly puzzling with Portis, who led the team in bench scoring and shot the 3-point at one of the most efficient clips in the NBA during the regular season. Despite Portis only playing four games in this series, he is a key player for this team, and Antetokounmpo reminded him that after Saturday’s Game 7 win, telling him, “we’re going to need you, stay ready.”

As for Forbes, the guard was Milwaukee’s secret weapon in the first round series with Miami due to his red-hot shooting off the bench. His defensive limitations kept him primarily glued to the bench versus the Nets, but he could undoubtedly get some burn in this series, given how poorly the Bucks have shot the long ball. Shooting just 31.2 percent from deep in the playoffs, this team desperately needs to find their stride from the outside and Forbes would be glad to assist.

Time will tell if Budenholzer can integrate two of his best bench players back into the rotation and if they will be able to regain any rhythm. On the other hand, perhaps he will keep the rotation tight and have these two see fewer minutes once more.