The hammer has fallen. The Milwaukee Bucks needed a scapegoat for their utterly disappointing NBA Playoffs first-round exit at the hands of the Miami Heat, and unfortunately for him, it's head coach Mike Budenholzer who has emerged as the odd man out — or should I say former Bucks head coach.
ESPN's NBA guru Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Thursday that the Bucks have made an official decision to part ways with Coach Bud following what turned out to be a truly unacceptable finish to the 2022-23 campaign:
BREAKING: The Milwaukee Bucks dismissed coach Mike Budenholzer, sources tell ESPN. Budenholzer is out after the East’s top-seed suffered a first-round loss to the Miami Heat. pic.twitter.com/wQp0Zk3lxi
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 4, 2023
To be perfectly honest, this does not come as a complete shock. There have been wide-ranging reports about the Bucks considering this move ever since they were eliminated in the playoffs, and for their part, the organization did not make much of an effort in trying to defend Budenholzer and his tenure as the team's head coach. This is despite the fact that this is the same man that led the Bucks to a historic championship just two years ago.
Nevertheless, you just knew there was going to be a major shakeup in the squad after the Bucks' unceremonious first-round exit. This was simply unacceptable for their standards and someone had to take the blame. As it turns out, it was Mike Budenholzer who got the axe.
It's very much possible that this does not turn out to be Milwaukee's only major move in the offseason. They have a couple of crucial personnel decisions to make this summer, and it wouldn't be surprising if they bring in some new talent to spruce things up. This could also mean parting ways with some players they deem surplus to requirements.
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