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Milwaukee Bucks: How Mike Budenholzer can win NBA Coach of the Year

By Dylan Piccolo

DETROIT, MI - NOVEMBER 10: Head coach Mike Budenholzer of the Atlanta Hawks looks on from the bench while playing the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on November 10, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit won the game 111-104. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI - NOVEMBER 10: Head coach Mike Budenholzer of the Atlanta Hawks looks on from the bench while playing the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on November 10, 2017 in Detroit, Michigan. Detroit won the game 111-104. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Mike Budenholzer’s first season with the Milwaukee Bucks has high expectations. If he reaches those expectations he may win the NBA Coach of the Year.

Milwaukee Bucks‘ fans have been waiting many moons for a competent coach to lead their beloved team to the promise land. They struck out with Larry Drew, tweeted Jason Kidd out of a job (#FireKidd), and Joe Prunty quite frankly didn’t stand a chance, but it appears that the Bucks faithful is all in on Mike Budenholzer.

When looking at the NBA Coach of the Year award winners in the past, it typically goes to the coach from either the best team in the league, the most surprising team in the league, or the biggest win differential. I don’t think the Bucks will be in any of those categories, but if Budenholzer adds those eight elusive wins and gets the Bucks to 50, there won’t be another coach who was more important to his team’s success.

Turn Positives into Negatives

Getting positive performances from your negative players could be the secret to navigating your limited cap flexibility while trying to win with Giannis Antetokounmpo is in a Bucks uniform.

Turning Tony Snell into a more efficient offensive player will be one of first guys that Budenholzer needs to tackle. Snell actually was the only Buck with regular minutes to shoot greater than 40 percent from deep, but he his 8.5 PER tells a lot about his inefficiencies on offense and defense. Budenholzer will need Snell to be a positive player for them to be successful and he can carve out a nice role with this regime if he can refine his defensive tools, and guard top offensive wings.

Look the Part

Winning 50 games will be the first task, but the question is how does the general media feel about the Bucks after the season. Say the Bucks win some of those close games they lost last season, but still have some duds against the bottom-feeders of the NBA, he won’t win the award. If he wins a good portion of the 18 national television games this season, and wins some in convincing fashion, his chances increase drastically.

Implement Hawks University

Budenholzer has the ability to add those eight wins by simply using the players on the roster in a way that actually makes sense, unlike Kidd. He can do that simply based on his playing style, but another reason the Bucks might take the next step is the group of assistant coaches around Budenholzer that form Hawks University. This mythical university takes basketball misfits and puts magical fairy dust and, BAM, there you have it! A highly efficient basketball player specifically molded for Budenholzer’s system.

Some recent graduates of Hawks University:

Demarre Carroll, Taurean Prince, Paul Millsap, Jeff Teague, Al Horford

Win the Close Games

Milwaukee lost exactly eight games last season by six points or less. Those eight wins would have had tied the Bucks with the Cavaliers for the fourth spot in the East and potentially would have led to a home-court advantage. The Bucks need to be even more efficient in the fourth when closing games as they finished tied for last in the NBA in fourth quarter scoring margin.

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