Milwaukee Bucks: Organization is in great position for long-term success

The Milwaukee Bucks are fresh off an unforgettable season that saw the franchise become NBA champions for the first time in 50 years. However, it doesn’t take long for the rest of the sporting world to forget and start asking the question – can you repeat that success? Because as we all know, if you lose the last game of the season, nobody cares.

So, what makes Milwaukee an ideal candidate to repeat their newfound levels of success in the coming years? The answer is honestly rather simple and one that should help ease minds across the fan base.

Essentially, the Bucks have all the necessary pieces in place at every level of the organization. The Bucks are one of just two franchises that currently have an MVP player (Giannis Antetokounmpo), a two-time NBA Coach of the Year (Mike Budenholzer) in 2015/2019, and an Executive of the Year (Jon Horst) in 2019. That’s a pretty impressive foundation of success to build on moving forward. The franchise has acknowledged the role each of these individuals have played in taking the Bucks to new heights and rewarded each of them with long-term extensions in the past calendar year.

Jon Horst’s resume as the Milwaukee Bucks GM

• Fired Jason Kidd / Hired Mike Budenholzer
• Traded for Eric Bledsoe while only giving up Greg Monroe (AND ONE!) / draft picks.
• Signed Brook Lopez.
• In-season acquisitions of George Hill, Nikola Mirotic (was good on paper), Marvin Williams, and P.J. Tucker.
• Signing/Re-signing Bobby Portis.
• Got out of countless bad contracts/managed tight salary restrictions to improve the team without mortgaging the future.
• Landing Jrue Holiday for Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, and draft picks.
• Landing Grayson Allen for chump change.
• Extended Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, and Jrue Holiday.

All of these moves played a pivotal role in helping the Bucks become NBA champions. His tireless work ethic improving the fringes of the roster has made all the difference in keeping Milwaukee competitive. Horst was also the NBA executive of the year in 2019. Not to mention, the Bucks have the best regular season winning percentage in the NBA since he took over. So keeping Horst in the fold long-term only made sense.

Mike Budenholzer as the Milwaukee Bucks head coach

Milwaukee’s record by year since Budenholzer became head coach:

2018-2019: 60-22 / NBA Coach of the Year / Lost in the Eastern Conference Finals

2019-2020: 56-17 / Lost Eastern Conference Semifinals

2020-2021: 46-26 / NBA Champions

Budenholzer was a great hire and has proved to be a strong leader that excels at making in-game adjustments. Not to mention, The Bucks have led the NBA in scoring each of the last three seasons. Budenholzer is 31-17 in the playoffs as Bucks coach, including the 2021 NBA title, and trips to the conference finals and semifinals the two seasons before. In total, Budenholzer is now 176-70 as Bucks coach in the regular season – a pretty damn impressive mark.

Giannis, Middleton, and Holiday are all locked up through at least 2023-2024.

• Giannis Antetokounmpo is a five-time All-Star, 2021 NBA Champ, five-time All-NBA, four-time All-Defensive Team, 2013-14 All-Rookie Team, 2016-17 Most Improved, 2020-21 All-Star Game MVP, 2019-20 Def. POY, 2020-21 Finals MVP, and 2x MVP.
• Khris Middleton is a two-time All-Star, NBA Champion, and one of the best two-way wings in the NBA.
• Jrue Holiday is a one-time All-Star, 2021 NBA Champ, three-time All-Defensive Team.

All three of these players are terrific foundational pieces to build around that will only improve the longer they play together. The Bucks are incredibly fortunate to have three selfless stars on one team that are all equally great individuals off the court. The continuity on the court is just as important as it is off the court.

We’ll never forget the Bucks’ incredible title run from last season, that’s for certain. Now, the attention is turned to protecting the legacy of the franchise and building upon their newfound success. With all the right players and personnel locked up for the foreseeable future, the Bucks are in good hands and will continue to be a contender both now and in the future.

The Milwaukee Bucks have built a model of success that mirrors that of the San Antonio Spurs back in their heyday, and that’s truly something to be proud of doing with the franchise.