While the Knicks are busy making splashy coaching hires, they just showed Milwaukee exactly what they should be doing instead. New York's focus on player development isn't even really anything revolutionary; it's just a basic NBA business that the Bucks have been ignoring for years.
Per ESPN, the New York Knicks are expected to hire Saint Joseph's head coach Billy Lange to oversee player development. Meanwhile, Milwaukee is sitting on a roster full of young talent with shoddy-at-best infrastructure to actually develop them properly.
Just to put that move into perspective, Lange is most known around the association for his role as an assistant on the Sixers during their fledgling "The Process" years. That's exactly the kind of experience Milwaukee needs. Someone who's actually built young players from the ground up, not just hoping they figure it out on their own.
The Milwaukee Bucks have the youth, but not the mentors to capitalize
To be fair, it's clearer than ever that the Milwaukee Bucks organization is now heading toward a period of development from within, perhaps for the first time in the Giannis Antetokounmpo era.
They've gotten significantly younger with their additions this offseason, and with the Damian Lillard waive-and-stretch all but ensuring they'll be cash-strapped for the foreseeable future, internal growth is practically their only option. And their moves as of late suggest they (for the most part) understand that.
Just look at the kinds of players that the Bucks have invested in recently. You've got guys like AJ Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Ryan Rollins all finding roles within the system. Even when guys don't play, the organizational investment is clear; after all, they just gave Chris Livingston a new deal. That's real money and roster spots going to players who need serious development work.
But the question we posit is this: where's the coaching staff to maximize that investment?
The Knicks are also bringing in guys like former Charlotte assistant Chris Jent and T.J. Saint, who coached in the G League. That's three legitimate development minds working with their young core. Milwaukee's approach is efficient on paper, but it is nowhere near that level of investment and sophistication. It's only this: throw the young guys into Doc Rivers' rotation (if they impress in practice) and then see what happens.
So this is only to say that perhaps it's time for the Bucks to go all-in on player development, even outside of just the roster they're working with. They are investing in so many other young players, but they can consider coaches who invest in youth, too.
This isn't just about being generous with playing time. Development coaching is where championship teams separate themselves. Boston's success with its role players didn't happen by accident. Denver turning second-rounders into rotation pieces isn't luck.
While they're on the right track, the truth is that Milwaukee has been drafting and signing young talent, then acting surprised when they don't immediately contribute. (Just look at the Andre Jackson Jr. situation, for instance.) Meanwhile, teams like New York are building entire coaching staffs around maximizing that exact demographic even after nearly making the NBA Finals.
We've said it before, and we'll say it again: the Bucks' title hopes depend on whether they can still evolve. And that applies to the coaching staff as much as it does to the players themselves.
The blueprint is right there. The Knicks just handed it to them on a silver platter. It's a copycat league, and the Bucks simply can't afford to ignore what their counterparts are doing.