Heading into the 2023 postseason, the Milwaukee Bucks — led by Giannis Antetokounmpo — were widely perceived to be the favorites to win the title. They finished with the best record in the league during the regular season at 58-24. But the Bucks fell very short of their championship expectations, as they lost to Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs. So, recently, the Bucks decided to fire their head coach, Mike Budenholzer, who coached the Bucks to an NBA championship in 2021.
Bucks general manager, Jon Horst, spoke to the media and got real about the Budenholzer firing after Milwaukee's first-round exit, per an article from The Athletic's Eric Nehm:
“Ultimately, we just haven’t ended these seasons and these runs and these opportunities to contend in the way that we want or expect. And, those expectations have changed over the course of time.”
“Ultimately, we just haven’t ended these seasons and these runs and these opportunities to contend in the way that we want or expect. And, those expectations have changed over the course of time.” – Jon Horst
On the challenge ahead, at @TheAthletic:https://t.co/WBd2wvIyLK
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) May 6, 2023
Mike Budenholzer, 53, spent five seasons as the head coach of the Bucks. He won the coach of the year his first year in Milwaukee, the 2018-19 season. Before his stint with the Bucks, Budenholzer coached the Atlanta Hawks.
At this juncture, it's unclear who the Bucks will hire to be their next head coach. But one name who makes a lot of sense is former Raptors coach Nick Nurse. Nurse, a defense-first basketball mind, had a lot of success in Toronto and even won a championship with the squad back in the year 2019. So don't be surprised if Nurse ends up becoming Milwaukee's newest head coach.
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