Milwaukee Bucks: 2018-19 NBA season preview

Storyline 2: How much will Mike Budenholzer help this team?

It is difficult in the NBA to determine exactly how much a head coach affects his team, either positively or negatively. Most coaches seem to be competent at their jobs, and overall captive to the roster provided them and the player on the court.

A handful — Gregg Popovich, Brad Stevens — seem to have an unequivocally positive effect on their teams.

A handful have the opposite effect, and the Milwaukee front office finally realized what “Bucks Twitter” had been screaming for years: Jason Kidd was a terrible head coach.

From refusing to adjust a failed defensive scheme to being completely overwhelmed by late-game decision-making, Kidd was actively hurting the Bucks’ chances at winning basketball.

Enter Mike Budenholzer, hired to replace Kidd and instill a new offensive and defensive philosophy.

For the first time in his career Antetokounmpo will learn under an accomplished coach. Budenholzer is well-known for maximizing his talent in Atlanta and he has never had a player as good as Antetokounmpo to deploy.

Early returns are promising, as the Bucks came out sharp in their preseason debut against the Chicago Bulls. The Bucks moved the ball well, spaced bigs out to the corners, and displayed the hallmarks of a Budenholzer offense. The results were positive to say the least.

The offense seems to be firing away already, but the defense will be a major component of how high this team rises this season. Can a more conservative scheme still leverage this team’s strengths and generate frequent transition opportunities? That remains to be seen.

Budenholzer might be one of those difference-making coaches, or he may simply be a competent one. Given where this team is coming from, either way he is a significant upgrade to this team. His impact will be scrutinized but certainly welcomed in Milwaukee.