Tag: Mike Budenholzer

Another Lakers head coaching candidate is off the board

The Lakers’ pool of head coaching candidates has shrunk.

The Los Angeles Lakers seem prepared to take their time when it comes to hiring their next head coach. They reportedly have several candidates, including former Brooklyn Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson, current Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue and former NBA sharpshooter JJ Redick.

Another man on their list was Mike Budenholzer, who helped lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a world championship three years ago. Although the Bucks fired him a year ago, he emerged as a solid candidate once L.A. deposed Darvin Ham, his former assistant with Milwaukee and the Atlanta Hawks.

But Budenholzer can be crossed off that list. He has reportedly agreed to become the Phoenix Suns’ new head coach.

The Suns fired Frank Vogel, who coached L.A. to the NBA title in 2020, days after getting swept in the first round of the playoffs by the peaking Minnesota Timberwolves.

On Thursday, Charles Lee, an assistant with the Boston Celtics who was reportedly on the Lakers’ list of candidates, was hired by the Charlotte Hornets.

Nets potential head-coaching candidates revealed

Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports recently revealed some of the potential candidates for the Brooklyn Nets’ permanent head-coaching position.

The Brooklyn Nets are nearing the end of their 2023-24 season and as a result, they will have to start thinking about how to improve the team this upcoming offseason. One of those important matters will be addressing who will be the head coach next season to hopefully lead Brooklyn back to the postseason.

Currently, the Nets are led by interim head coach Kevin Ollie, someone that has done a solid job leading this Brooklyn franchise following the firing of its head coach, Jacque Vaughn, during the All-Star break. However, it has been noted plenty of times throughout this season that the Nets’ search for a head coach will be far-ranging given how important that role is.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo! Sports, Brooklyn is likely to consider experienced coaches like Mike Budenholzer and James Borrego, two people who have ties to the San Antonio Spurs just like Nets general manager Sean Marks did. Budenholzer was an assistant coach for the Spurs beginning with the 1996-97 season until he landed his first head-coaching job with the Atlanta Hawks starting with the 2013-14 season.

Budenholzer coached in Atlanta for five seasons before becoming the head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks beginning with the 2018-19 season, a tenure that saw him win the NBA championship in the 2020-21 season.

Borrego became the head coach of the Charlotte Hornets starting with the 2018-19 season after spending the prior eight seasons mostly as an assistant coach with the New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic (30 games as the interim head coach), and the Spurs. Borrego spent four seasons as the head coach for the Hornets before being relieved of his duties after the conclusion of the 2021-22 campaign.

Fischer also said that the Nets will “consider” some of the same newer candidates to the coaching pool that the Charlotte Hornets and the Washington Wizards will be looking into as well.

Per Fischer, some of those candidates are Denver Nuggets assistant David Adelman, Sacramento Kings assistant Jordi Fernandez, Boston Celtics assistant Charles Lee, and Phoenix Suns assistant Kevin Young.

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The Bucks owe around $18 million to three head coaches this season, which is historically high

This is quite a financial hit for the Bucks.

The Milwaukee Bucks have moved on multiple head coaches since last season and now they will have three on their payroll at the same time.

Milwaukee parted ways with both Mike Budenholzer and his successor, Adrian Griffin, after just 43 games. The Bucks will replace Griffin with Doc Rivers, who served as an informal consultant to his predecessor.

Regardless of whether or not Rivers was the right choice to lead Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, this aggressive decision to change head coaches yet again won’t come cheap for Milwaukee’s ownership group.

According to Shams Charania, the Bucks will pay Rivers $40 million through 2026-27. That is already fairly expensive but it is even more expensive when factoring in what they already owe to other head coaches.

At the time Griffin was hired, Charania reported that the coach signed a multi-year contract worth approximately $4 million per season. Budenholzer, reportedly had two years and $16 million remaining on his contract when he was fired.

Combine what is owed to the three coaches and you have nearly $18 million owed in salary to three different head coaches in Milwaukee this season. That is more than what the Spurs pay Gregg Popovich (who is the head coach and also the president of basketball operations for the Spurs) and what the Heat pay Erik Spoelstra.

It is also a massive financial burden when considering that the Bucks already have the most expensive roster in the Eastern Conference.

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Ranking the prominent coaching candidates for Sixers’ vacancy 2.0

Here is a new and updated ranking for the prominent coaching candidates for the current vacancy for the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers are on the lookout for a new leading man after firing Doc Rivers following another early postseason exit. Rivers held the job for three seasons and led the Sixers to a great deal of success, but three consecutive eliminations in the conference semifinals did him in.

The Sixers face what should be a lengthy coaching search. They must decide which coach is the best option to help Joel Embiid and, possibly, James Harden take the next step in the playoffs.

Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, quite a few candidates are being considered for the position. However, in the roughly two weeks now since Rivers was let go, there have been plenty of reports about the Sixers’ search.

Here is a new ranking of the coaching candidates based on what is known: interviews, coaching credentials and team needs:

Ranking the reported possible coaching candidates for Sixers’ vacancy

Here is a ranking of the reported possible coaching candidates to become the next head man for the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Philadelphia 76ers are looking for a new head man after firing Doc Rivers on Tuesday. Rivers held the job for three seasons and led the Sixers to a great deal of success, but three consecutive eliminations in the conference semifinals did him in.

The Sixers face what should be a lengthy coaching search. They must decide which coach is the best option to help Joel Embiid and, possibly, James Harden take the next step in the playoffs.

Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, quite a few candidates will be considered for the position. Assistant Sam Cassell is among them, and the following is a ranking of the six names that have been reported for the job:

Notre Dame alumnus Monty Williams dismissed as Phoenix Suns coach

Was this the right call?

Success in the recent past seems to be mattering less and less in the NBA. For at least some teams, it doesn’t matter what you did a few years ago if you’re not getting the job done now. The Phoenix Suns showed they subscribe to that philosophy when The Athletic reported that they have fired former Notre Dame player [autotag]Monty Williams[/autotag] as coach. Williams was the 2022 Coach of the Year, and he took the Suns to the 2021 NBA Finals.

Williams joins the ranks of NBA coaches who have lost their jobs recently despite doing great things not long ago. The Toronto Raptors ousted Nick Nurse even though he led them to the 2019 championship. Mike Budenholzer, who coached [autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] and the Milwaukee Bucks to the 2021 title, also was handed his walking papers. These moves should put almost every coach in the league on notice about what can happen if their team underachieves.

Hopefully, Williams isn’t out of the NBA for long. He has too good of a resume for teams with coaching vacancies not to at least look at him. He’s a good guy, too. Who wouldn’t want that on their bench?

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

Giannis Antetokounmpo put the league on blast after surprising NBA All-Defense snub

Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t messing around.

Milwaukee Bucks superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo is putting the rest of the NBA on notice. 

After he was snubbed from the NBA’s 2022-23 All-Defensive Team, Antetokounmpo shared a very direct message on Twitter.

“I’m tired of the disrespect,” he said in the post. “I’m coming.”

Coupled between a disappointing first-round exit in the 2023 NBA Playoffs after earning a top seed and the firing of Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer, Antetokounmpo seems to have quite a chip on his shoulder. 

Antetokounmpo has already won two NBA MVP honors and a league title, so he doesn’t really have a lot to prove as far as what he can do as one of the NBA’s best players. 

However, the defensive snub has got to sting. He won the league’s top honor for defensive play in 2020 and made the first team for All-Defense from 2019-22. He was second team All-Defense in 2017.

Even more surprising is that two of Antetokounmpo’s teammates, Brook Lopez and Jrue Holiday, made the NBA All-Defense first team this year. 

Milwaukee is now looking for a new head coach after its shocking postseason fracas, and Antetokounmpo looks to have plenty to prove once he returns to the court. 

Every head coach to win the NBA Finals since 2015 has been fired except Steve Kerr

This is WILD.

As it turns out, winning a championship only goes so far as to help job security if you’re an NBA head coach.

After the Bucks moved on from coach Mike Budenholzer on Thursday, each coach who has won an NBA championship since 2015 except Golden State’s Steve Kerr is no longer with their respective teams.

Following an elimination during the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference, despite leading them to their first championship in franchise history, the Raptors moved on from Nick Nurse last month.

Ty Lue, who won a title with the Cavaliers in 2016, was fired by Cleveland in 2018. Although he won a championship in 2020, meanwhile, the Lakers fired Frank Vogel in 2022.

COACH TEAM YEAR STATUS
Steve Kerr Golden State Warriors 2015
Ty Lue Cleveland Cavaliers 2016 Fired (Oct. 2018)
Steve Kerr Golden State Warriors 2017
Steve Kerr Golden State Warriors 2018
Nick Nurse Toronto Raptors 2019 Fired (Apr. 2023)
Frank Vogel Los Angeles Lakers 2020 Fired (Apr. 2022)
Mike Budenholzer Milwaukee Bucks 2021 Fired (May 2023)
Steve Kerr Golden State Warriors 2022

The news about Budenholzer may not come as a surprise, though, after Milwaukee’s epic collapse against the Heat during the first round of the playoffs.

Nurse, as well as Milwaukee assistant Charles Lee and Golden State assistant Kenny Atkinson, are considered the top candidates to replace Budenholzer in Milwaukee.

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Bucks’ Mike Budenholzer impressed with how Joel Embiid has improved

Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer is impressed with the way Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid has improved since entering the league.

MILWAUKEE — Few players in the NBA can do what Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid does at his size. The 7-foot big man can almost do it all on the offensive end: He is a legit three-level scorer.

In Saturday’s 133-130 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Embiid showed off everything he does. He had 31 points on 11-for-22 shooting, 10 assists and six rebounds while also knocking down three 3s, including a big one late to give the Sixers the lead for good.

Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer has been impressed with the way Embiid has continued to improve in the league.

“The offensive skill and touch that he has at his size is phenomenal and I just think his shot-making, his touch from 15-to-17 feet, it looks effortless,” Budenholzer said of Embiid. “It looks like a layup for him. He can take it out to the 3-point line, then he takes you off the dribble, incredibly crafty and creative about getting to the free-throw line.”

Embiid is averaging 11.7 free throw attempts per game which is ranked second in the league to Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo who averages 12.6 attempts per game.

“He creates lots of free throws,” Budenholzer added of Embiid. “He may be leading the league in free throws, and when he’s around the basket, he can score with force, and play in the paint. We have our hands full, everybody does every night against Embiid.”

The way the big fella has continued to grow his game has been impressive. He has accomplished a lot in the regular season, but he has to take the next level in the playoffs in order for Philadelphia to get to the NBA mountaintop.

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Pat Connaughton/Blake Wesley NBA Tracker: Feb. 6-12

Both players are making progress despite their teams going in opposite directions.

[autotag]Pat Connaughton[/autotag] has to be feeling good right now. Not only have his Milwaukee Bucks won 10 in a row, but his streak of starting every game since Christmas remain intact. He has rewarded Mike Budenholzer’s faith in him with solid games such as an 11-point, two-steal performance Feb. 6 at the Portland Trail Blazers and a line eight points, eight rebounds, three assists and a steal Feb. 10 at the Los Angeles Clippers. For the past week, he averaged 8.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.7 steals a game.

Despite playing for a San Antonio Spurs team on a 12-game losing streak, [autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] got the most opportunities he has gotten so far during the past week. After he recorded seven points and four assists Feb. 8 at the Toronto Raptors, Gregg Popovich gave him his first career start Feb. 10 at the Detroit Pistons. He was held to a single 3-pointer for that game, and he also committed a career-high four turnovers. This past week gave him averages of 3.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists over 16.7 minutes a game.

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Contact/Follow us @IrishWireND on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Notre Dame news, notes, and opinions.

Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89