The Milwaukee Bucks have sacked theie head coach Mike Budenholzer on Thursday night.
Budenholzer, champion in 2020/21 for the team, he has a contract until 2025, but did not resist after falling in the first round of the playoffs.
Although Budenholzer was respected by the team, things were becoming worse. He admitted that he was ashamed by the outcome right away after the elimination.
The Bucks, first in the Eastern Conference, fell to the Miami Heat, eighth. Incidentally, it was only the sixth time in NBA history that an eighth surpassed the leader.
“Mike Budenholzer’s status as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks is highly uncertain. But there is a doubt about his permanence, even though he still has two years left on his contract.” Athletic’s Shams Charania said.
“The lack of adjustments in the series against the Miami Heat, first of all, is what is discussed internally. In particular, the defensive alternatives to face a packaged Jimmy Butler.” Charania added.
Budenholzer was in charge for five seasons, always putting the Milwaukee team in the playoffs. In 2018/19, he was named the best coach in the NBA for the second time in his career. Before, the coach won for the Atlanta Hawks.
He had long been threatened in office despite his downfall at the end of the Bucks’ 2022/23 campaign.
In 2019/20, the team was the favourite in the East after leading the regular phase, but lost in the playoffs to the same Heat.
However, Budenholzer had meetings with star Giannis Antetokounmpo and the board to realign the situation. As a result, they won the following year.
The Bucks’ playoff performances this year, however, were questionable. In five games, the team lost four, three of them at home.
The problem of tweaks got significant attention due to comments made by NBA player Giannis Antetokounmpo. The winger was elegant but very clear in his criticism of the coach’s decisions.
He said the team could have been a lot less traditional in their approach to the Heat or simply try other alternatives, even with little chance of success.
