Post-Mortem: 2021-22 Milwaukee Bucks

[th87]

We're good, run it back.

I would entertain the thought of a coaching change but the coaching rotation in the NBA seems closed and locked with the same retreads. The Top 3 players in the world are international, but for some reason the NBA thinks that top coaches can only come from the 4% of the global population that is the USA. It's a boys club, they're all friends of friends.

One day some organisation will see the light and understand that Euro coaches are simply better, a massive unexplored mine. When that happens there will be another gold rush in this copycat league. First 3-4 teams will get the best.

Until then stick with Bud or don't stick with Bud, whatever.

Any recommendations? Obradovic still not interested in the NBA?

He's old and his face gets too red when he starts screaming, which is every 3 minutes, I'm worried about his blood pressure lol
Jasikevicius is my personal favourite, everybody loves that guy

Oh cool. NBA experience too.

[Pachinko_]

Any recommendations? Obradovic still not interested in the NBA?

He's old and his face gets too red when he starts screaming, which is every 3 minutes, I'm worried about his blood pressure lol
Jasikevicius is my personal favourite, everybody loves that guy

Oh cool. NBA experience too.

I love this guy for his personality (see below) but he's a legit coach more than anything. I think Nick Nurse really liked him and almost got him on his staff a couple of years ago but he took a HC job in Europe instead

Watch on YouTube

[th87]

He's old and his face gets too red when he starts screaming, which is every 3 minutes, I'm worried about his blood pressure lol
Jasikevicius is my personal favourite, everybody loves that guy

Oh cool. NBA experience too.

I love this guy for his personality (see below) but he's a legit coach more than anything. I think Nick Nurse really liked him and almost got him on his staff a couple of years ago but he took a HC job in Europe instead

Watch on YouTube

Yeah I could see this not working in the NBA

Watch on YouTube

Saras does seem well suited, and that's the perfect answer that I'm sure the players appreciate. We have the culture now, the overarching strategy, but now's the time for the tactician to really get into the details and take it up a level.

[mediocrityrules]

Does Bud necessarily need to go, or get some better assistants around him who can 'coax' him into the right moves/schemes at the right time.

I don't really want him back, but shaking it up with a new coach may undo what's already been built. Like most have said, it seems to be minor tweaks and then run it back, and those tweaks may be more around the assistant coaching staff.

[hauntedcomputer]

Like several teams, all they have to do is not get injured. Then they are good, coach is a genius, and RealGM spends years applying an asterisk because every other team was injured.

[Godymas]

If the Bucks had Middleton they'd be playing Miami today

Middleton is crucial for them on offense. Otherwise their best options are Giannis bag of tricks (which is still limited and tough as the only guy), Jrue Holiday ISO, and an over reliance on shooters. Maybe Lopez gets a good look in the paint. Last night none of their shooters hit and so the Bucks had literally nothing going. That plus also Giannis showed..a human sign again. He isn't LeBron tier right now. He isn't stone cold and wide enough in his game to will a team to win a series. I mean that Game 6 was technically that game from Giannis but the rest of his team couldn't show up and Boston has been lights out from 3 the last 2 games.

The defense from Milwaukee is good, is the concept perfect? Letting teams shoot 3s while protecting the paint? Maybe not, but Milwaukee is so good at protecting the paint and Giannis + Lopez is a deadly combo.

Obviously if Middleton is healthy the offense vastly improves. It really was a struggle for the Bucks to secure wins this series. But you still have to consider how many guys Milwaukee had on this roster that just were not useful at all. Serge Ibaka, George Hill.

Grayson Allen should not be safe. I think the criticism he got was a little overblown, but at $10m a year you expect a bit more out of him. Maybe he improves a bit more this off-season, but his production did drop in the playoffs. Some nights he was able to help their offense, but others it was tricky when his shot wasn't falling.

George Hill needs to go, I don't know what solid role player they get in return, maybe a TJ McConnell type of back-up?

They have very few assets would trading though. Milwaukee has to knock this draft out of the park and find the real hidden talent guys worth bringing on. This off-season will be a bit of a test for the FO as they've lucked out immensely winning a ring last year immediately after the risky Jrue Holiday trade.

But ofc if Middleton is healthy and Milwaukee makes the ECF the narrative flips a little, but personally I think losing here is really good for Milwaukee because it makes both Giannis and the FO aware that they have weaknesses still despite winning last year. Hopefully both of them are not complacent enough to think "well we get Middleton back and we're fine" and try and double down on security.

Also bring back Wes Matthews, he was solid for them.

[khufure]

Amazing you can go from winning coach of the year, winning NBA championship, to "time has passed him by" next year. Haha, never change realgm. It's hard to gauge the real impact of the coach, especially in regards to prep the players mentally to perform. One wrong rotation in a series and yer garbage! Yes I'm overstating a thing, and not really the guy to watch or give a sht about Bucks basketball. But my point of CoTY => Championship => garbage still stands. Cmn!

The Bucks need to encase Grayson Allen in carbonite and dump him in the ocean. Once you get rid of the bad vibes you will acquire good vibes and not have Middleton karma injuries.

[otmshank1]

If they fire bid his replacement is already on the payroll - Darvin Ham

[danvato]

Do people really think PJ Tucker would have made a difference in this series? Y’all are delusional

yes, he could have. he was a top 4 player for you last year and you don't win the title without him.

[danvato]

Bud was so close to getting fired last year. He got saved by Giannis. But Bud needs to go.

got saved by Giannis dirty slide under Kyrie.

[tamaraw08]

Amazing you can go from winning coach of the year, winning NBA championship, to "time has passed him by" next year. Haha, never change realgm. It's hard to gauge the real impact of the coach, especially in regards to prep the players mentally to perform. One wrong rotation in a series and yer garbage! Yes I'm overstating a thing, and not really the guy to watch or give a sht about Bucks basketball. But my point of CoTY => Championship => garbage still stands. Cmn!

The Bucks need to encase Grayson Allen in carbonite and dump him in the ocean. Once you get rid of the bad vibes you will acquire good vibes and not have Middleton karma injuries.

Yup, Bud haters have been waiting to bash him hard since last year but couldn't blatantly blame him bec they won it all. It is his fault his FIVE SHOOTERS went to combine for 0-18 from 3?
Suns got clobbered, is it Monty's fault? Now Jason Kidd is a Genius, really? Analysis by paralysis, we fans over analyze, we KNOW we can't play like these players play so we think we can coach instead....Ohhh, Bud is crazy to use that drop coverage blah blah blah.

[ReddoverKobe]

Lost to a damn good team in 7 games without Middelton. Hopefully they can improve the supporting case slightly and they run it back.

[Kobe187]

Did better than expected given Middleton went down. Needed to replace PJ Tucker and picked up Ibaka who didn’t play a single game, GM needed to do a better job at giving Giannis and the defending Champions better support and depth. Need a 3&D wing/guard.

[Slax]

As a Celtics fan, I just want to say, Giannis is a monster and the Bucks were super resilient for a team missing its second best player. I was very impressed, in particular with that defense. Bucks fans were telling me they had flipped a switch on defense in the postseason and I thought they were exaggerating a bit and were maybe just outclassing a hobbled Bulls team, but the fans were right, that Bucks defense does NOT play around in the playoffs. Credit to this team for their depth, skill, and resilience.

[Froob]

Don't have much they need to change, need Middleton back. Bud is lucky he won that title last year though, because he's definitely fired by now.

[Wigginstime]

Not much to be said. Not many teams win a chip with their second best player injured.

Its impressive that the Bucks went 7 without Middleton. They win this series and probably the championship if Middleton was healthy but unfortunately injuries are part of the game.

I wouldn't make any major moves if i was the Bucks. Run in back next year and hope for better health.

[ropjhk]

They were expected pre-season to at least make the conference finals. Giannis may have room for improvement but the rest of the roster isn't getting any younger.

They need another scorer off the bench who can create their own shot. They made a mistake trading DiVincenzo who could have provided bench depth against Boston for Ibaka.

If it wasn't for Middleton's injury they may still be in the playoffs. So the front office shouldn't overreact.

The Bucks have a chance to retool their roster and make another run but they have to hit on all cylinders. The wrong move could accelerate their descent into a collapse.

[ReddoverKobe]

[quote="ropjhk"]They were expected pre-season to at least make the conference finals. Giannis may have room for improvement but the rest of the roster isn't getting any younger.

They need another scorer off the bench who can create their own shot. They made a mistake trading DiVincenzo who could have provided bench depth against Boston for Ibaka.

If it wasn't for Middleton's injury they may still be in the playoffs. So the front office shouldn't overreact.

The Bucks have a chance to retool their roster and make another run but they have to hit on all cylinders. The wrong move could accelerate their descent into a collapse.[/quote

COPY PASTA?

[MartyConlonOnTheRun]

Run it back...reminds me of 2021 lakers when AD went down ..dont panic

*Bucks fans start crying uncontrollably*

[Profound23]

Do people really think PJ Tucker would have made a difference in this series? Y’all are delusional

yes, he could have. he was a top 4 player for you last year and you don't win the title without him.

With how much flopping is allowed in today's game....and was allowed in this series, Tucker would have made a HUGE difference.

Tucker is basically the forward version of Marcus Smart and would have made sure the Bucks didn't lose game 6 if nothing else. I know he was missed in games 4 and 5 especially. If Bucks keep Tucker they are still playing right now but the owners had to worry about luxury tax money so it is what it is.

Good luck to the remaining teams. I guess I would like to see Mavs win if nothing else but I wouldn't hate any outcome.