The Bucks were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the second consecutive year, yet it’s sure looking like they may not even clinch a ticket to the conference finals.
And that could spell doom for head coach Mike Budenholzer, as his resume has been marred by early playoff exits. Giannis Antetokounmpo will enter the final season of his contract next season, and the team may feel the need to make a move, either to appease its superstar, or also to change things up from a strategy perspective.
Budenholzer has a history of getting outcoached in playoff series, as Nick Nurse took him to school last season. And this year, so far, Erik Spoelstra has been doing the same, with his team up 2-0 in the second-round series.
Antetokounmpo was asked about why he wasn’t guarding Jimmy Butler late in Game 1, and he gave a testy response to the question about doing “whatever coach tells me to do.” He continued with that same type of answer after Game 2’s loss, insisting the number of minutes he plays is managed by Budenholzer.
It appears as if Giannis is making sure to let everyone know that these questionable decisions were made by his head coach, and given that the Bucks aren’t playing up to expectations, that may not bode well for Budenholzer’s future.
