Monty Williams must be the next Milwaukee Bucks head coach
Former Phoenix Suns head coach Monty Williams is a perfect fit to be the Milwaukee Bucks new head coach for a number of reasons. After firing head coach Mike Budenholzer in a surprising move, Milwaukee needs to acquire a coach that fits the team’s needs, but also someone to entice Giannis Antetokounmpo to stick around.
In fact, this would be such an obvious move for the Bucks, the talking heads are already beginning to report on it. It looks like Williams will definitely be on the top of Milwaukee’s list, and potentially others as well, according to reports.
“The Bucks will pursue Monty Williams from what I’m told, pretty aggressively,” Shams Charnaria said on Fanduel TV Monday. “He’s near or at the top of their list after they fired Mike Budenholzer”
Why Williams deserves the job:
Williams has a proven track record in the league. In his four seasons as head coach of the Phoenix Suns, he led the team to a 227-167 record, including a 64-18 record in 2021-22, which was the best record in the NBA. He also led the Suns to the NBA Finals in 2021, proving he can manage a team with a lot of very good basketball players, which is what the Bucks have had these past few seasons.
Williams spent four years with Phoenix, and he won NBA Coach of The Year in 2021-22.
Not to mention, Williams is a defensive-minded head coach. If he were to field a team with Antetokoumpo and Jrue Holiday, two very good defenders, he could scheme a defensive alignment that strikes fear into opponents on a nightly basis. In fact, depending on what stats you care about, Milwaukee could have been considered a top-10 defensive team last season.
Honestly, I think Williams is a great coach. His Phoenix firing was perplexing, and it sort of seems like he got run out of town in the Valley. In fact, there are even reports that Suns players like Kevin Durant and Devin Booker may have had a say in his firing. That’s my concern at this time. There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s one of, if not the best coach on the market right now, and that’s saying a lot considering Budenholzer and Doc Rivers. However, why would two superstars want to move away from an elite coach for no obvious reason?
Why Do The Bucks Need Williams?
Williams is a good fit for the Bucks’ culture. More importantly, however, the Bucks’ next head coach is a huge piece in what happens with Antetokounmpo. Last week, there were reports about a potential “thundercloud” headed for the Bucks. In my opinion, the culmination of that report is that if the Bucks can’t hire a great head coach right now, then they might be screwed in the years to come.
That’s because Antetokoumnpo might be on his way out if they don’t field a competitive team. Multiple other players seemingly will be as well. If the Bucks hire Williams, the team instantly becomes that much more attractive for Giannis and other free agents. He is a great coach with a decorated past and is well-respected around the league.
If they don’t hire him, they could hire someone who doesn’t secure quite as much respect. In that scenario, it will be harder to keep Antetokoumnpo around for the long term. If Antetokounmpo is there, more free agents will want to come to play with him. That much is inevitable.
Overall, Monty Williams is a perfect fit to be the Bucks’ new head coach. He has the experience, the leadership, the coaching style and the fit that the Bucks are looking for. He also has the name recognition and the skills to keep Antetokoumnpo around for the long term.
If Milwaukee decides to go in another direction, or if Williams decides to go somewhere else, oh boy, is it going to be a frenzy on Bucks Twitter. To be honest, I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a coaching hire that needs to happen more for a franchise than this one.
They have to get Williams early on. They need to secure their future as soon as possible. If I was Milwaukee, as soon as Williams begins answering phone calls, I’d do everything in my power to make him my team’s next head coach.
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