Coach Bud has turned the Bucks into a force on both sides of the ball

The Bucks are 9-2, and just destroyed the Warriors in Oakland to a tune of 134-11. They are the talk of the entire NBA right now, and the hype for their success being long-lasting is building every game. The interesting thing about the Bucks’ leap this season is that while Giannis Antetokounmpo is having another MVP-type season, his numbers are largely the same as last year’s (even down a bit in some key areas). Instead, they’re winning through a team effort, with strong contributions up and down the roster. Coach Bud has stuck with a 10-man rotation through their first 11 games, and it looks to be a good call, as he’s getting the most from every player on the team right now.

Bud has been the crucial difference so far this season. Yes, Brook Lopez and Ersan Ilyasova have been nice veteran additions. And yes, Donte DiVincenzo has provided solid minutes as a rookie off the bench. But those guys are not transforming a team that went 44-38 last year and spent much of the season looking confused on both ends of the court into what we have seen thus far this year. No, that’s Mike Budenholzer at work. His work with the Bucks this year is just another reminder we get every few years that yes, coaching is extremely important in the NBA, even though it is a player-dominated league.

Despite Bud being known more as an offensive guru, the Bucks have taken their biggest step forward on the defensive end. They’ve possessed length and athleticism in spades for years, but have never had the schemes or discipline to be even average at that end of the floor. Incredibly, in an NBA where scoring has been quite high to start the season, the Bucks have a defensive rating that’s seven points below last years. Bud has utilized the Bucks’ length and quickness to create an active defense that flies all over the court (somewhat reminiscent of the Big 3 Heat days, albeit with a different scheme), and it’s been stifling opponents so far.

That’s not to say the offense has not improved. It has. Just as on defense, Bud has finally modernized the Bucks, getting them to take three-point shots in great bulk, and discouraging midrange jumpers. The Bucks have taken 44% of their shots from deep this year, second in the NBA, compared to 29.7% and 25th last year respectively. Those threes aren’t just more efficient shots for the Bucks, they’re also opening up spacing, and lanes for Giannis and Eric Bledsoe to attack off the dribble. The result is an offense that ranks second in the entire NBA behind only the mighty Warriors.

The Bucks, simply put, look like a true contender right now. It’s early in the season, and teams with greater hype have faded away before this team. There’s at least a decent chance that the Bucks’ momentum slows down, and that they finish with a record and team that’s merely very good rather than great. But it sure doesn’t look like it, and every that goes by is another check in the ledger on them being legitimate.

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