Monday Morning Media Roundup: May 7th, 2018

We're officially a week-plus removed from the end of the Milwaukee Bucks’ season and so are deep in the thick of head coach search season. While teams like the Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks were bringing in candidates (and even hiring David Fizdale in NYC's case) the past seven days, things were generally quiet for Milwaukee by mid-week. Until, of course, a much-needed Woj Bomb:

10 candidates! That includes seemingly every member of the San Antonio Spurs organization, your typical seasoned coaches, presumably Joe Prunty, and probably a citizen or two walking past the team's offices at the right time.

Because the net is being cast so wide you wouldn't be alone if you found yourself muttering “Who?” under your breath when reading some of the names. To get you caught up on the coaching search as it currently stands, we're spending this week reading about the early progress of the Bucks’s approach and what to expect in the coming weeks.

Let's roundup!

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Hottest Job on the Market: An Early List of Bucks Coaching Candidates (Brew Hoop)

I'm fully aware that I'm using up precious Brew Hoop space to promote content already published on Brew Hoop, but trust me, this will be your go-to starting place to familiarize yourself with all of the names floating in and out of Milwaukee's orbit.

The two Erics, Nehm and Buenning, put together a wonderful three-part series last week on Locked on Bucks breaking down the background/pros and cons of a number of seasoned NBA head coaches and upstart assistants looking to break through into the top job.

Our local hero, Mitchell Maurer, then took all their research and compiled it into a one-stop shop for your consumption. So go ahead: Get familiar with the names and faces, pick your favorite and defend them to your heart's content.

GM Jon Horst, Bucks looking for right fit as coaching search begins (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

It comes as no surprise to hear that the Bucks have been putting together a list of sought-after names for head coach since the in-season firing of Jason Kidd, so at least they've done some due diligence.

What I find interesting is GM Jon Horst's ideal fit bringing “experience and insight” to helping move the team forward from the Kidd era. Is that just another signal that Horst isn't nearly as independent as we'd hope? Will an incoming coach have significant sway over the way the roster is built?

Lots of moving parts in play, here.

Bucks treading water with broken front-office approach (Wisconsin State Journal)

As a response to the above, we have Tom Oates at the Wisconsin State Journal criticizing that potentially disjointed process heading the coaching search.

To be honest, I think Oates does a great job summing up everything that has troubled this franchise since lucking into Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2013. There are so many moves that you'd imagine they'd take back knowing how they turned out, but we don't live in a reality with a time machine, and so they're stuck with next to no cap flexibility, a mercurial former second-overall pick and a star surrounded by a team that doesn't fit him.

All of the above is nothing new, but hopefully the sheer weight of failure will eventually prove to be enough to change the trajectory of the team.

Milwaukee Bucks: Coaching search headed in right direction (Hoops Habit)

As a response to the response, we have an outside perspective from Max Carlin over at Hoops Habit to present the case that, chaotic decision-making aside, the Bucks have at least started their search off on the right foot.

The argument centers around the fact that the team has, so far, opted to not go after too many “names” like Jeff van Gundy or Mark Jackson. While some candidates are more well-known, each has either a pedigree of recent success in the NBA or bring intriguing possibilities of a total tactical overhaul starting this off-season.

There may still be some minefields - is Monty Williams a legit NBA coach? Are the assistants ready to take on total responsibility? - but opting for a retread lacking in modern basketball philosophies doesn't seem in the cards. And thank goodness for that.

Most Memorable Bucks Games Of 2017–18 (Bucks.com)

Ending on a high note, Alex Boeder with the Bucks put together his list of the best games from the season that was for Milwaukee. Highlights include Eric Bledsoe's Bucks debut against the Spurs, the critical home games in the recent playoff series against the Boston Celtics, and that unlikely comeback against the visiting Philadelphia 76ers late in the season.

Any games missing from the list that you'd add on? I'd nominate the January 20th loss against the Sixers which precipitated the dismissal of Jason Kidd, but I'm open to other suggestions.

From the Social Media Realm

If you're an Apple product owner I need you take a deep breath, go outside, and spike that iPhone face-down directly into the concrete:

Karl Malone - Former Jazz great, nicknamed “The Mailman” and... future Bucks head coach?

If you already think the three-headed wonky ownership structure in Milwaukee is problematic, you should probably just ignore this next one:

Giannis for Mayor:

Can anyone clue me in on what “#BearDown” means in the context of this random Jason Terry photo op? Do he and President Clinton share Chicago Bears fandoms?

Best of luck to James and JeQuan as they look to make a permanent leap from the G-League to the NBA!

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Because the search for a new head coach will involve so many individuals, don't be surprised if we're a couple of weeks away from any final decision. Not only does GM Jon Horst need to meet with the initial list and then presumably conduct second interviews, but ownership may still be in the process of deciding if the current structure of the front office is one they're comfortable with moving forward. Throw on top of that potential demands for influence over the roster by some coaches (hi, former President of Basketball Operations Mike Budenholzer!) and there's much still in flux for Milwaukee.

Decisions made in the coming weeks will probably determine the fate of the franchise for the next couple of decades, for better or for worse. If the team takes its time figuring out the best moves to secure a more prosperous future, then so be it. However, by taking too long they risk overplaying their hand thinking that every candidate will wait on the “hottest coaching job in the NBA” for weeks on end while higher-up politics runs its course. We're relying on the team to make the right decision in a timely manner, and unfortunately for us, there haven't been many examples of that type of behavior in the past.

Maybe this time it'll be different.

Happy Monday!