Giannis Antetokounmpo made a telling comment before the Milwaukee Bucks fired Mike Budenholzer.
The 2021 NBA champions sent shockwaves around the league following their decision to relieve the 53-year-old of his duties. His firing comes a week after the Eastern Conference side’s first round Playoff defeat to the eighth seeded Miami Heat in just five games.
The Bucks’ decision making across the series, especially over the last two games was concerning and Budenholzer was criticised for failing to make proper in-game adjustments. In games four and five, he failed to call timeouts in the closing stages and did little to stop the Heat’s momentum.
That is something Antetokounmpo alluded to after Jimmy Butler scored 56 points against them to put the Heat 3-1 up in the series. And his comments questioning the adjustments are particularly relevant now Budenholzer has been relived of his duties.
"Out of respect, you've got to let the coach make the adjustment," the 2021 Finals MVP said. "At the end of the day, I wish I could've guarded [Butler] more."
He added: “I don't know, double-team him more, try to make him pass the ball. Maybe switch the matchup for a little bit, give Jrue [Holiday] a break. I don't think as a team we made the right [adjustment] or we didn't make as many adjustments as we could have against him.”
The Bucks were one of the favourites for the title given they won last year's crown and finished top of their conference and finished the regular season with the best record across the league. They compiled a 58-24 record during the regular season, but following their first round loss they became the sixth team in NBA history to lose at the first hurdle as a number one seed.
Following the decision to sack Budenholzer, Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement on Thursday: “The decision to make this change was very difficult. Bud helped lead our team for five incredible seasons, to the Bucks' first title in 50 years, and into an era of sustained success. We are grateful for the culture of winning and leadership that Bud helped create in Milwaukee.
"This is an opportunity for us to refocus and re-energize our efforts as we continue building toward our next championship season." It has been a difficult time for Budenholzer, as he not only lost a job he loved dearly, but coached his final two games with the Bucks after hearing one of his brothers passed away in a car accident.
LA Lakers coach Darvin Ham, who worked as Budenholzer‘s assistant in Milwaukee, has a close relationship with his former colleague and expressed that he is going through a challenging period in his life.
“Coach Bud is going through a lot on a personal level,” Ham said. “He just lost his brother, so, my apologies Bud if I wasn't supposed to let anybody know. He and I've been texting. I love those guys.” After five years in charge of the Bucks, Budenholzer leaves with an impressive 271-120 record, the best in the league across that span and delivered the Bucks their first NBA title for 50 years.
