Bobby Portis perfectly foreshadowed Bucks' Taylor Jenkins hiring

The Milwaukee Bucks hired Taylor Jenkins to be their next head coach, and if you've been following the breadcrumbs, it's far from surprising. During a recent appearance on Run It Back, Bobby Portis talked about the type of coach the Bucks should be looking for to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo in town and to bounce back next season. It sure sounded like Jenkins was the man he described.

"Like a Mike Budenholzer type of vibe... Something that's about culture. Something that's about holding guys accountable. Something that's about standing for the right things. Something that's about just creating a culture and an identity."

Bucks have their culture setter in Taylor Jenkins on the payroll

Given how quickly they pounced on him—the first round of the NBA Playoffs just began, after all— the Milwaukee Bucks clearly believe in Jenkins. ESPN insider Shams Charania highlighted Jenkins' traits, specifically "his player development pedigree, tenure as a culture-setter and someone who drives competitiveness," that made him Milwaukee's first option in this coaching cycle.

The Milwaukee Bucks need all of those things. While the player development hasn't been terrible over the last several seasons, the culture setting and competitiveness have been. Adrian Griffin and Doc Rivers struggled mightily to mesh with the players. This team hasn't had an identity since former Coach of the Year Mike Budenholzer left town back in 2023.

Jenkins, who established a fine culture in Memphis, can come in and immediately take a stab at solving one of Milwaukee's most glaring weaknesses.

Speaking of Budenholzer, Portis name-dropping him is no coincidence, as Jenkins comes from the Coach Bud tree. Milwaukee's current coach was an assistant under Budenholzer with both the Hawks and the Bucks, learning from the man who helped lead a team to a championship a few years ago. He will now look to do the same as the head man rather than an assistant coach.

Time will tell how the Jenkins hiring impacts Giannis

The coach that Portis described was someone who could help keep Giannis in town. Checkmarks all across the board with Jenkins. Of course, it all starts with establishing a winning culture, which is the driving factor in Giannis staying or leaving. Though they never got over the hump, the Grizzlies teams that Jenkins coached were consistently fighting in the postseason. They had a clear-cut identity.

Hiring Jenkins alone does not put the Milwaukee Bucks in a guaranteed position to succeed, but it is the first step this summer. Now, as he looks to install a culture and identity, the front office can turn its attention toward reshaping the roster and trying to convince Giannis that they can get it done after last season's bump in the road.

The first step in keeping Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee is complete—if Portis' words hold any true weight.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow