MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday decided to part ways with head coach Mike Budenholzer after five seasons.
The move came after the Bucks suffered one of the few upsets by a No. 1 seed in NBA history, but just two seasons after the franchise won an NBA championship.
In a Thursday edition of the Locked On Bucks podcast, hosts Kane Pitman and Frank Madden discussed the team’s performance under Budenholzer and what the change means for the Bucks.
“I can’t imagine anyone in ownership, the front office, anybody, was thinking this is what we’d be talking about in early May,” Madden said.
Moving on from a coach is often the right thing for a team to try after a loss, but it is not always easy to find someone better for the role.
“I think he’s a far better coach than what he gets credit for,” Pitman said. “I think they’re going to lose a lot, I think it’s definitely a risk.”
Even after firing Budenholzer, Milwaukee faces an offseason that could include significantly more change. Two veteran starters, Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton, could be free agents, and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is eligible for an extension in the fall.
“I don’t think you can deny that he maximized the talents of what is a flawed roster, so if you’re bringing in another coach, it’s going to be fascinating to see what this team does (with the roster),” Pitman added.
With an aging roster and so many decisions facing the front office, some shuffling felt inevitable, just maybe not so soon.
“Maybe they needed a terrible flameout to act as a forcing mechanism,” Madden said. “I’m not saying it’s a good thing they are where they are … but that did not feel like a team that was going to win a championship.”