Milwaukee Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer should take home Coach of the Year Award
Why Bud should win
The answer is the man at the helm, Coach Budenholzer. He encouraged the team to play with more pace and helped forward Khris Middleton become the much-needed reliable second option that all contenders must have.
Last season, the Eastern Conference wasn’t prepared for Milwaukee’s breakout campaign. This season, opposing teams came in knowing the Bucks were for real. And yet, they have still managed to have the best record in the NBA. Credit Mike Budenholzer for making sure his team came in prepared. Duplicating success under increased scrutiny can only be accomplished under good leadership.
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Back in November, All-star Khris Middleton missed seven consecutive games with a left thigh contusion. For a team that was still trying to figure out if they could handle the pressure of entering the season as one of the league’s elite, the Bucks handled themselves masterfully. They won all seven of the games in which Middleton was out.
Handling this type of adversity is what has made this year’s march to the league’s best record that much more impressive. A lot of teams would falter with their second-best player out of the lineup. Instead, Coach Budenholzer trusts his role players to step up and fill in the scoring gap when one of his All-stars is out. It’s a philosophy that has more than paid off this season.