With close to two seasons at the helm of the Milwaukee Bucks, Mike Budenholzer has met and surpassed most of the immediate expectations that were laid out for him ahead of taking the job.
It’s easy to forget that it was just two years ago that, led by interim coach Joe Prunty, the Bucks crashed out in seven games to a Kyrie Irving-less Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.
At that point, the Bucks becoming legitimate top tier contenders was still more of a hope than an expectation.
A total of 162 games later, Budenholzer has transformed how the Bucks play on both ends and, alongside strong work from general manager Jon Horst, has helped the Bucks to become the Eastern Conference’s most consistent team by racking up victories at an astonishing rate.