Coach Bud has a lot to prove this week

[Jamaaliver]

AJC columnist Mark Bradley pulling no punches. He calls out Coach Bud for subpar team performances in this last post-season. And ponders what we can expect from Bud moving forward.

There was a time when I considered Budenholzer the NBA’s next great coach. I no longer do.

I’m wondering if Budenholzer is just a smart guy who inherited players who fit a Spurs-centric design and made the most of them. That produced one terrific 60-win regular season. And that, is about it.

Budenholzer seemed a step slow, as it were, in every round of the 2015 postseason. Lionel Hollins, Randy Wittman and David Blatt — three coaches who have since been fired — seemed to be calling most of the tunes.

We mention this now because something similar has happened. Stevens changed two starters and forged a tie in a series that, going on available resources, should be close to over.

Much has been made this week about the Hawks’ awful record in overtime games – they’ve lost nine in row – and that’s no testimonial to coaching, either. But there’s a greater point to this: As we know, Budenholzer isn’t just the coach; he’s the czar of Hawks basketball. And now we reveal the number of points scored in Games 1-4 by the Hawk’s post-Ferry acquisitions: Three, all by Tim Hardaway Jr.

Here

Thoughts?
Questions?
Concerns?

Is MB being too hard on Coach Bud?
Any of these points valid?

[Jamaaliver]

I still think Bud is a keeper. But it's clear we have to adjust our offensive approach. We don't attack the paint, we don't get to the Free Throw line, we don't get second chance points. We don't post up.

It's just jump-shooting...ALL THE TIME!!

We have to diversify the offense. Particularly in the playoffs.

We need better talent. But we also need better coaching.

[Rip2137]

Sometimes I get so frustrated with the loser mentality this city has developed. There is literally nothing written above that isn't laughable.

Coach bud doesn't have anything to prove to anyone with half a brain this week.

Only in Atlanta could a team win 60 games, see 6 of their top 7 scorers suffer injuries in the playoffs, still reach the conference finals and have someone walk away criticizing coaching.
Lose some close games on the road against a team with the same record as you? Time to answer some questions. And you haven't gotten a lot of points out of the 4 players on the roster acquired after Ferry? Sure, one is out for the season, one is a third seeing point guard and another is third string Center, but hey nitpick!

[Jamaaliver]

Something called thecomeback similarly posits that Coach Bud absolutely needs to win this series:

The loser of the Boston Celtics-Atlanta Hawks first-round series was always going to face an unpleasant offseason, but Mike Budenholzer is now in a position where failure could sting even more than previously imagined.

This has been a fun series, easily the best of the first round. Yet, while we savor the delicious twists and turns provided by Boston and Atlanta, some serious business awaits for Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer. Within the changed context of this series, relative to when it began, it is that much more imperative for Bud to reach the second round. If he doesn’t, he’ll bear a large share of the blame for losing the series.

If the Hawks not only lose a first-round series, but one in which Bradley and Olynyk were hurt and Sullinger was rendered impotent, how are they going to trust themselves in future seasons?

[Jamaaliver]

I do believe that M Bradley at AJC was a bit harsh in his take, but Coach Bud is not above criticism.

Our offense...has struggled for the last year plus. With minor changes and few player additions.

AL shoots too many threes. The team shoots too few Free Throws. We're terrible at Offensive Rebounding.

As we saw last night, when we aren't hitting three-pointers, we have a very difficult time scoring.

These are huge flaws and have been fairly consistent ones at that. And they are all a reflection of coaching and personnel.

Both fall under the purview of one Mike 'Horatio' Budenholzer.


NOTE: Our Offensive Efficiency Rating in the Regular Season this year was 103.0. A middle of the road rating. Our Off Eff Rat this postseason is up to a dreadful 96.8 after our Game 5 blowout victory.

That's a huge dropoff and the worst post-season Off Eff Rating since Larry Drew was coach back in 2013.

[Rip2137]

Not saying he is above criticism. But people are acting like the Hawks shouldbe blowing the Celtics out of the water. Based on what? The expectations made by our style of play? We have two teams with identical records who both play great defense in a first round battle.

Also you keep harping on somethings that make nonsense. You know full well we don't offensive rebound to prevent transition offense because we feel our half court D is great. You know this. And yet you keep harping on us not getting offensive rebounds.

A "reflection" of our coaching is over 100 wins a ECF appearance and leading a first round series right now. I don't get how on one hand anyone can question the talent/personel on this team yet pretend we should be dominating other teams in the same breath.

[PandaKidd]

I hold people accountable. Last year was a pleasant success. The playoffs was mediocre. We went game 6 with the NETS (LOL) we went game 6 with the Wizards who was missing Wall. Swept by a team missing Love.

Like, I was happy to get to the ECF and im not shortselling that, but in context, the team vastly under performed how they were in the season. To me a lot of flaws from that postseason showed up in THIS season, and now AGAIN in the playoffs. Same issues are there, missing shots, subpar on talent, inconsistent defense and offense execution, lack of a paint presence.

If the Hawks lose to the Celtics, then yes, its 1000% to question Buds to a point. No he doesnt deserve to be FIRED< but he deserves to be held ACCOUNTABLE for obvious issues.

[Jamaaliver]

Also you keep harping on somethings that make nonsense. You know full well we don't offensive rebound to prevent transition offense because we feel our half court D is great. You know this. And yet you keep harping on us not getting offensive rebounds.

But that is kind of my point. Coach Bud is making a tactical decision to ignore Offensive Rebounding to prevent Transition buckets.
But, that's clearly coming at the expense of potential second chance points.

Last night we had 19 points in the first 17 minutes of basketball.

THAT. IS. DREADFUL.

It's not an unheard of adjustment that Bud would unleash our 4x time All Star Center and encourage him to attack the offensive board if has position or a clear shot at the ball. Anything to score some easy buckets as we experience yet another scoring drought in the playoffs.

NOTE: We DO go after Offensive Rebounds. We avg 9.6 per game which is actually an improvement upon the 8.3 we avg in the Regular Season. But the frequency and timeliness could/should be exploited depending on matchups. Case in Point:

• We should have been dominating the Offensive Boards when Olynyk was injured and their rotation was shortened.
  
• We should have been punishing Marcus Smart on the Offensive Boards when he was guarding Paul Millsap in a close Game 4.

That's recognition that a veteran PG or more experienced Coach should see and exploit at varying times in a tight series.
Instead of turning every big man into a stretch center.

But that also leads to the curious decision to play Muscala as the first BIG off the bench ahead of Kris Humphries, who is a much more accomplished rebounder at BOTH ends of the floor.


You keep harping back to that 60 win season. But Bud's playoff performances have been...questionable. When we hit threes, we can at least hang tough. When we don't...we're a pretty pedestrian team.

After that Game 5 victory, Coach Bud has a .500 record in the playoffs through 28 post-season games played.

[Jamaaliver]

Not saying he is above criticism. But people are acting like the Hawks should be blowing the Celtics out of the water. Based on what? The expectations made by our style of play? We have two teams with identical records who both play great defense in a first round battle.

And this is what is ultimately frustrating me. Last summer, you and several others posited that we were a top team on the verge of true contention. You described us as a 60 wins, ECF, team trending towards a title. But this playoffs you state that we shouldn't be surprised to watch us struggle against a depleted 48-win Celtics team?


If our veteran, battle-tested team at its best isn't much better than Danny Ainge's transitional roster of cast-offs and over-achievers...that's bad right?

[Rip2137]

I am saying you are underrating the Celtics. Marcus Smart stepped up and gave you every thing Bradley could. Jerenko stepped up and has given MORE than KO could have. They played Cleveland tough last year while easing into their addition of IT and dealing with basically an entire squad of first time playoff performers. With a year under their belt you think they should be a EASIER team to beat?

And Jamal...boston feast on open court, transition baskets and have done so all year. So you are saying the SMART adjustment would be to give them more opportunities for their greatest strength? Come on man.

[Jamaaliver]

And Jamal...boston feast on open court, transition baskets and have done so all year. So you are saying the SMART adjustment would be to give them more opportunities for their greatest strength? Come on man.

Periodically, strategically, surgically, yes. If Isaiah is out and we have an advantage in the front court. YES.


Eschewing Offensive Rebounds to prevent Fast breaks by the opposition. Isn't the wrong approach.

But never adjusting any tactic...ever...is short-sighted. In a tight series like this, the most minor of adjustments at the right moment can be the difference between a 1-point victory or an OT loss.

(Like guarding a 3x All Star PF with a 3rd year SG!!!)

[xccelerate]

I think Bud has shown progress each year he's been a coach.
-2016 first round > 2015 first round > 2014 first round.
-Coached an Al Horford-less team to the playoffs his first year and took Indiana to 7.
-Installed an offense that took the 2014-2015 regular season by storm.
-Took us to our first ECF.
-Made a vast attempt to improve our defense from last year to this one.
-He's also tried to keep everyone healthy with his rotations (other than the nagging injuries that developed in the playoffs last year).
-He has established a veteran, friendly locker room...I mean it's not easy to float 2 of your starters in trade rumors and then take them to the post season with you.
-Turn Demarre Carroll and Bazemore into $15 million dollar 3 & D players.

He certainly has things he needs to improve.
-Late game situations.
-Tweak the offense like he tweaked our defense.
-He mixes and matches lineups too much.
-He needs to teach his players to have dominant 48 minute performances instead of spurts of dominance.
-Drafting & developing first rounders.
-Provide big, memorable moments.
-Make attempts to improve our long term future.
-Probably more stuff.

We're probably not going to find a better coach than him guys....on the other hand, he seems to be a bad GM.

Side note: I know someone who works at the hotel where Antony Ressler rents out a floor (for when he's here in Atlanta) and he told me that how unhappy he was with our playoff performance. But this was when the series was tied 2-2. Either way, I think we have ownership that wants to win so hopefully changes that need to be made will be made.

[simon24]

AJC columnist Mark Bradley pulling no punches. He calls out Coach Bud for subpar team performances in this last post-season. And ponders what we can expect from Bud moving forward.

There was a time when I considered Budenholzer the NBA’s next great coach. I no longer do.

I’m wondering if Budenholzer is just a smart guy who inherited players who fit a Spurs-centric design and made the most of them. That produced one terrific 60-win regular season. And that, is about it.

Budenholzer seemed a step slow, as it were, in every round of the 2015 postseason. Lionel Hollins, Randy Wittman and David Blatt — three coaches who have since been fired — seemed to be calling most of the tunes.

We mention this now because something similar has happened. Stevens changed two starters and forged a tie in a series that, going on available resources, should be close to over.

Much has been made this week about the Hawks’ awful record in overtime games – they’ve lost nine in row – and that’s no testimonial to coaching, either. But there’s a greater point to this: As we know, Budenholzer isn’t just the coach; he’s the czar of Hawks basketball. And now we reveal the number of points scored in Games 1-4 by the Hawk’s post-Ferry acquisitions: Three, all by Tim Hardaway Jr.

Here

Thoughts?
Questions?
Concerns?

Is MB being too hard on Coach Bud?
Any of these points valid?

I don't MB is being too hard, he's being fair. He's a young coach and he's growing while expectations have been getting higher. I can't act like everything Ferry has done has been great, he's missed on draft picks and trades.

Regardless what happens this series, I take it as a learning experience for him.

[simon24]

I think Bud has shown progress each year he's been a coach.
-2016 first round > 2015 first round > 2014 first round.
-Coached an Al Horford-less team to the playoffs his first year and took Indiana to 7.
-Installed an offense that took the 2014-2015 regular season by storm.
-Took us to our first ECF.
-Made a vast attempt to improve our defense from last year to this one.
-He's also tried to keep everyone healthy with his rotations (other than the nagging injuries that developed in the playoffs last year).
-He has established a veteran, friendly locker room...I mean it's not easy to float 2 of your starters in trade rumors and then take them to the post season with you.
-Turn Demarre Carroll and Bazemore into $15 million dollar 3 & D players.

He certainly has things he needs to improve.
-Late game situations.
-Tweak the offense like he tweaked our defense.
-He mixes and matches lineups too much.
-He needs to teach his players to have dominant 48 minute performances instead of spurts of dominance.
-Drafting & developing first rounders.
-Provide big, memorable moments.
-Make attempts to improve our long term future.
-Probably more stuff.

We're probably not going to find a better coach than him guys....on the other hand, he seems to be a bad GM.

Side note: I know someone who works at the hotel where Antony Ressler rents out a floor (for when he's here in Atlanta) and he told me that how unhappy he was with our playoff performance. But this was when the series was tied 2-2. Either way, I think we have ownership that wants to win so hopefully changes that need to be made will be made.

That's great to hear Ressler isn't just happy to make the playoffs.

[Jamaaliver]

For me, this might be Bud's most important playoff game to date.

After that shellacking we just took, after 6 straight playoff losses to CLE.

After this team quit in the second quarter of a playoff game...

I need to see this team focused, competitive and showing some grit & heart.

Win or lose, I need to know Bud can lead this team through adversity.


Sent from my iPad using RealGM Forums

[DirtybirdGA]

Meh, he didn't play Kris too much in the 2nd half if he did get in, our strongest rotation big in the doghouse again.

[Jamaaliver]

Meh, he didn't play Kris too much in the 2nd half if he did get in, our strongest rotation big in the doghouse again.

Humphries said he came to the Hawks’ practice court at night when told he wouldn’t be part of the playoff plan to stay ready for his chance. He was not a part of the Hawks’ rotation in the playoffs, seeing action in only blowouts, until the final two games of the Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the Cavaliers.

In four postseason games, Humphries averaged 9.3 points and 6.0 rebounds in 14 minutes.

While he sat, Humphries said he heard the calls for him to receive more playing time.
Here


Sounds like it was the plan from the start to keep KH out of the playoff rotation. One of the knocks on Bud has been his post-season rotations. And on this decision, it definitely is warranted to question it.

[Jamaaliver]

Also you keep harping on somethings that make nonsense. You know full well we don't offensive rebound to prevent transition offense because we feel our half court D is great. You know this. And yet you keep harping on us not getting offensive rebounds.

Yahoo provides some further analysis on the switch to focus more on offensive rebounds...at the expense of transition defense:

What Budenholzer saw [in Howard] was a player who could improve one of the NBA’s worst offensive rebounding teams and backstop an already stingy defense with a still elite rim protector. In past years, Atlanta de-emphasized offensive rebounding in favor of tight transition defense. This year, players say, the Hawks routinely send bigs careening toward the offensive glass. According to Budenholzer, Howard is not just pulling down his own offensive boards (4.6 per game) but is creating the space for Mike Muscala (1.7 per game), Paul Millsap (1.3) and others to contribute on the offensive glass.

...while Atlanta has stumbled from a top-10 team in transition defense to one that ranks in the bottom third, the uptick in second-chance points makes up for what the Hawks are giving up in the open floor.

Here