Mike Budenholzer got destroyed so thoroughly that he might find himself out of a job. That is a sentiment I did not expect to be expressing anytime soon, and as of the start of these playoffs, I thought Budenholzer and his Milwaukee Bucks were in pole position in the quest for this year’s NBA Title.
Then Jimmy Butler turned the Bucks from deer worth fearing to a blood-streaked heap on the side of the highway. Budenholzer’s team is the first ever one seed to lose to an eight seed in five games. As much as the NBA is sad to see Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the league’s most marketable stars, leave the playoffs, it’s probably rubbing its hands together with a “play-in team” advancing to the second round of the playoffs.