The Bucks are the most dominant road team ever
Coach Budenholzer’s system
One of the key elements of the Bucks’ road superiority is Coach Mike Budenholzer. Budenholzer has implemented a regimented system that easily allows his players to establish a rhythm. The team plays within the same offensive sets and defensive schemes each game and players’ roles are well defined. Some argue that Budenholzer’s rigidity is a flaw during playoff games, but, during the dog days of the regular season, it is actually quite a valuable asset.
Budenholzer’s mastery of turning regular season basketball teams into well-oiled machines dates back to his time with the Atlanta Hawks. In 2015, he coached a Hawks team with no defined superstar to a 60-win season. Combining such an effective coach with the veteran presence the Bucks currently deploy creates a powerful synergy.
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Players know what one another is accountable for and can fill the void when teammates are not playing. This is evidenced by the team’s 5-1 record when the league’s reigning MVP sits. In such games, players like Bledsoe and Khris Middleton know they need to take on a much more significant playmaking burden, highlighted by Middleton’s 51-point performance when Giannis sat against the Wizards in late January.
Teams often falter on the road as the season stretches on. Sloppiness, fatigue and disinterest can plague poorly coached teams when on long road trips. That Budenholzer has his team so well-conditioned is impressive.
It will be interesting to see if Budenholzer receives consideration for Coach of the Year if the team wins 70 games and goes down as the best regular season team in history. That resume would be pretty tough to top, despite impressive efforts from Toronto’s Nick Nurse and the Lakers’ Frank Vogel.