Bucks Aim To Rebuild After Posting Worst Record In NBA Last Season

The Bucks tip off the new season on Wednesday night.

The Milwaukee Bucks had the worst record in pro basketball last season. This past off-season shook things up from top to bottom, with new owners, a new head coach, and a very young roster.

Terry Bell recently spoke to Craig Coshun, the host of “Bucks Live” before and after every Bucks game on Fox Sports Wisconsin, about the team’s prospects.

Terry Bell: Should fans have any reason to believe the Bucks will get any better this season?

Craig Coshun: I tell you this: It can’t get any worse than last year. We can all laugh about that, but it’s the truth. There’s a lot of optimism, I think, for this team, and it all starts from the top. And with the new ownership that the Bucks have right now, and a new head coach in Jason Kidd, I think they have properly aligned themselves into building something good for the future. You can’t turn things around on a dime, but it’s going to be a process of some years. There’s no question about that.

TB: That’s a good point. A lot of the weight will be carried by two 19-year-olds: first-round draft pick Jabari Parker and up-and-coming star Giannis Antetokounmpo. As talented as these two players may be, will they have the kind of mental toughness needed to beat veteran teams?

CC: It’s an interesting point, and it all starts with the poise and maturity level that these guys carry. These guys bring a different level of maturity in how they carry themselves on and off the court, I think, than a lot of other players right now that are in the NBA. That alone right there, when you mention those two guys, I think that carries a lot of promise for this franchise.

TB: The youth movement extends to the head coach. Jason Kidd has had only one year of experience over in Brooklyn. You sound optimistic that he’s the man for the job.

CC: I do know this: A guy who’s played a the highest level for 19 years, and who’s going to be a sure Hall of Famer in Jason Kidd — he wants to give something back to the league that treated him so well. And if he’s holding true to his word, it all starts there, and his basketball knowledge hopefully will be passed along, and hopefully these young guys will be hungry to learn and play well under this guy.

TB: This has been a real off-season of transition. Now the Bucks have new owners, (Marc Lasry and Wes Edens) although they have brought in a lot of local leaders to be a part of the front office. They have to get a new arena built in a couple of years in order to stay in Milwaukee. How would you assess the state of the Bucks’ future?

CC: I think, as far as the attitude of the owners right now, I think one of their biggest moves that they felt that they had to make was to get a head coach with a big name, a lot of authority, and a respect value — somebody that can be the face of the franchise. And that’s what they have in Jason Kidd. Next on their list is to secure the future of the franchise right now, and that is to secure a site for the arena and to secure financing. And with the money that the former senator and former owner of the team Herb Kohl has put forward along with the new ownership group, I think they’re well on their way.