NBA PLAYOFFS
Who are the main candidates to replace Mike Budenholzer as the Milwaukee Bucks head coach?
The Milwaukee Bucks were the top seed in the Eastern Conference before being defeated by the 8-seed Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs.
What most experts and pundits expect would happen, it did. Mike Budenholzer is out as the coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. The 53-year who had a record of almost 70% win ratio with the team will not be returning with the team next season. The early exit against the Heat cost him his spot as the guy calling the shots in Milwaukee.
The truth is that Budenholzer leaving is far from being the biggest problem for the franchise. Two of their stars will be open to leave this summer. Kriss Middleton and Brooke Lopez will surely entertain the free agency as other teams look to lure them into coming their way. Despite this situation, the job at Bucks is highly coveted, and it will be interesting to see who gets the job.
Who are the leading candidates to replace former Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer?
First on our list is:
Nick Nurse: He gained recognition for his strategic abilities in the NBA. The Nurse has tried various defensive strategies such as aggressive blitzes, zones, box-and-ones, and triangle-and-twos. Budenholzer is recognized for strictly using drop coverage, while Nurse is more experimental with his defensive strategies. In 2020, he received the NBA Coach of the Year award for leading the Raptors to a No. 2 seed in the league.
Frank Vogel: He likes to use the drop-coverage strategy that Budenholzer used in Milwaukee, but he was open to changing his approach in Los Angeles if needed. The Lakers’ defense in 2020 was highly adaptable, and Anthony Davis was able to defend Butler effectively despite being a big man.
Charles Lee: Charles Lee, the current associate head coach of Budenholzer, has been actively seeking new job opportunities in the past few years. Currently, Lee is being considered as a potential candidate to fill the head coach position for the Detroit Pistons. At only 38 years of age, Lee is poised to become one of the NBA’s youngest head coaches. However, his youthfulness should not be mistaken for inexperience. Since 2014, he has been working for Budenholzer and is now in a position to maintain most of the system while implementing a few adjustments that could help the Bucks regain their winning momentum.