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The Milwaukee Bucks were bounced out of the playoffs in the first round even though they were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They were taken down by the No. 8 seed Miami Heat in 5 games, and that development was one of the key reasons head coach Mike Budenholzer was fired from his position.
The Bucks went into the playoffs after a strong finish to the regular season, one that had seen them pass the Boston Celtics for the top spot in the conference. For that team, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton in lead roles, it was just much too easy of a departure from the postseason.
It's never just one reason that leads to a coach getting his walking papers. Budenholzer had been very successful for the Bucks, and this team brought home the NBA title in 2021. Any time a title has been that recent, it leads to the question of why a coach has been let go from his position.
There is a feeling from those who are closest to the franchise that Budenholzer had simply taken the team as far as it would go under his leadership. That thought was discussed by ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
Finding a new bench boss
The decision to replace Budenholzer will not be a simple one for general manager Jon Horst. It's not just a matter of finding the best out-of-work bench boss to take over. Horst may want to wait for the end of the playoffs so he can talk to candidates like Ty Lue of the Clippers or perhaps Doc Rivers of the Philadelphia 76ers.
It might cost the Bucks a player or a draft pick to make a deal for either coach, but it just might be worth it.
Lue has been a very successful coach in the NBA, both as an assistant at the start of his career and as a head coach.
His first head coaching position came with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015-16 season, and he helped lead that team to its only NBA title. The Cavs came from behind to beat the defending champion Golden State Warriors.
While that team had a near-peak version of LeBron James, Lue gave the team even-keel leadership. He does not get too high or low, and that characteristic may stand out for Milwaukee when they fill the position.
Lue spent 4 years in Cleveland before moving onto the Los Angeles Clippers. He has served as the team's bench boss since the 2020-21 season.
The Clippers went out in the first round this year, so he may want to find another assignment.
Could Doc Rivers be on the move?
The heat is on the Philadelphia 76ers to move onto the Eastern Conference Final and perhaps the NBA's title round. However, to get there, the Sixers will have to get past the Boston Celtics, one of Rivers' former teams.
He helped drive the team past Boston in the opening game of the series, but Philadelphia had no answers in Game 2 of the series.
If the Sixers lose the series despite the presence of MVP Joel Embiid, perhaps the prospect of moving on and coaching the Bucks and Antetokounmpo would appeal to Rivers. The veteran leader has been a head coach in the league since 1999-2000.
