Milwaukee Bucks stick with head coach Scott Skiles for another season - NBA Update
Milwaukee Bucks lost the final Eastern Conference playoff spot by 4 games, missing the chance for the 5th time in last 6 seasons. Someone in the franchise had to take the fall and for
some time coach Scott Skiles name was in the rumour factory. But the coach has put the rumours to bed by declaring that he will be coaching Bucks in the next season as well.
Scott told the Journal Sentinel that after having detailed discussions with the franchise’s throne keeper Herb Kohl and GM John Hammond, they all have unanimously decided that the Skiles will make another push
for the playoffs in 2012-2013 season.
"We want to get moving in that direction consistently," Skiles told the paper. "Now we have to get it done on the court."
Skiles took over the Buck’s coaching position in 2008. He only succeeded once to steer the team into playoffs and that was back in 2009-2010 season. However they lost to Atlanta Hawks in the first round.
Under Skiles, Milwaukee have won 146 games and lost 166 in a total of 4 seasons. This year they couldn’t gather the impetus early as key player Andrew Bogut spent most of the season on the bench in street clothes.
Bogut was finally traded during the midseason and in a savvy trade, the Bucks landed star shooting guard Monta Ellis from the Golden State Warriors. The move had an instant impact as the Bucks picked up pace early in April winning their 1st four
games.
They were above .500 at that point and with the New York Knicks in a precarious position due to injuries and the Philadelphia 76ers free falling; there was a window of opportunity for the Bucks to squeeze into
the top 8. But, deep into regular season things started to fall apart and the Bucks were stopped short of the post season yet again.
Skiles however was confident that if his bunch of players play like a team next season, there will be little standing between them and a spot in the playoffs;
“Without the one guy that can carry you and covers up all other weakness, we need everybody," Skiles said. "We're dependent on everybody getting better this summer. Everybody coming back with the right mindset
and the understanding that if we don't guard, we're not going to be as good as we can be and things like that. If we can do that and stay healthy, we'll have a pretty good year next year."
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