Taylor Jenkins must establish an identity with the Milwaukee Bucks from the jump. After the past several years, in which the Bucks often felt like they were just going through the motions a sizeable portion of the time, this team needs some direction. They know their ultimate goal, but it will be up to Jenkins to help guide them there with an identity.
Bucks need an identity after the Doc Rivers era
During his introductory press conference, Doc Rivers, who was brought in after Adrian Griffin was let go 43 games into the 2023-24 season, said the team had to find its identity. "If you're gonna have 'Fear the Deer,' you gotta fear the deer,' was what he said. No one feared the deer, and it was largely because there wasn't much to fear from a team standpoint.
Would the Bucks swarm teams with their suffocating defense? Would they shoot the lights out from the perimeter and burn opponents that way? Would their beautiful ball movement keep defenses on their toes? There was initially talk about wanting to pick up the pace and play with more of it. That was a starting point. It never got off the ground. They ranked 23rd in pace this year and 14th last year.
Most nights, even when they were healthy, the Milwaukee Bucks didn't have a set plan of attack that some could see coming. It felt like the team's style was largely living and dying by just how much of the workload Giannis Antetokounmpo could carry while hoping anyone else could step up. That's far from an identity. That's just horrific planning.
The results speak for themselves. Now, it will be up to Jenkins to turn the tide.
Bucks need Jenkins to set the tone early
Taylor Jenkins was the Milwaukee Bucks' top coaching target, and his "tenure as a culture-setter and someone who drives competitiveness" were among the reasons why, as ESPN's Shams Charania put it shortly after the hiring. After the Doc Rivers era ended with rumored locker room tension and many players tuned out, it's clear how badly this team needs someone with a pedigree like that.
During his time coaching in Memphis, the Grizzlies had an established identity. They were typically a strong defensive team due to their toughness who could get it done in a variety of ways offensively. Bringing that type of two-way mindset to town and having the players actually buy in is the first step in getting this franchise back on the right track. Jenkins will try.
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