Mike Budenholzer has been the head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks for the last three years.
It has honestly felt like he has been with the franchise for over a decade.
He has made the postseason each season as the Bucks head coach, but has had some failures throughout his tenure.
They were the number one seed in his first season and were up 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals, but lost four straight.
The following year saw them gain the first seed once again, but lose in the second round.
Now, they are in the Finals, but are down 2-1 in the series.
Budenholzer is the one person that has been to blame for the Bucks’ postseason failures.
This topic was discussed in Game 3 of the Finals during the telecast.
"Every playoff run there's a punching bag – Mike Budenholzer is the punching bag right now. Slanderous comments about his coaching ability from those who don't know, talking about lack of adjustments, it's nonsense."
-Jeff Van Gundy— Steve Finamore (@CoachFinamore) July 12, 2021
Jeff Van Gundy made him out to be sympathetic figure, but is he really?
Budenholzer has had his fair share of head-scratching moves.
The Bucks might need to move on if they lose the Finals.
Lack of Adjustments
Adjustments are a big key for playoff basketball.
You are playing the same team for multiple games straight, so it becomes easy to figure out the other team’s style.
That is how the Bucks have failed over the last couple of seasons.
Teams tend to figure them out and Budenholzer fails to adapt.
This series is no difference.
For the first two games, we have seen an abundance of possessions with Brook Lopez switching onto Chris Paul or Devin Booker.
Simple stuff from the Suns getting the switch on Brook Lopez for Chris Paul and Devin Booker. Timeout by the Bucks after the Booker make. Let's see if Mike Budenholzer switches up the pick-and-roll defense. pic.twitter.com/qaswtF2pfx
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) July 7, 2021
That is not a smart strategy, but it is something the Bucks do.
It is okay to change, but Budenholzer either waits too long, or does not fix the problems.
Giannis Antetokounmpo should be the center on this team, but it took him until late Game 2 to realize that truth.
Budenholzer needs to not be afraid to take chances.
They are down 2-1 in the series.
There is still a chance for them to win, but they need adjustments to be made for each game.
New Voice
Sometimes a locker room needs a new voice.
The Toronto Raptors needed that, and so did the Golden State Warriors.
Both of those decisions led to a title the following season.
A change is not a bad thing at times.
Yes, the success someone has can be great for the organization.
However, certain teams and coaches have a ceiling that they might reach.
We have seen the videos of his pregame talks and they are not inspiring.
His voice seems lost on this team.
You look on the Suns side and Monty Williams has full control over that team.
Paul is a outspoken player, but respects Williams so much.
Nobody on the Bucks is outspoken enough to overtake Budenholzer’s voice.
However, his voice might not work on this team anymore.
Perhaps a new head coach can help them get over that final step.
The Bucks still are in this series, but if they were to lose, it would not be a bad idea to switch to a new man at the helm.
NEXT: Why Bucks Have No Chance To Come Back Against Suns