Sure looks like a situation where ownership meddled in the head coaching searches. I won't shed a tear when Horst leaves, since he hasn't made a move that has worked since the PJ Tucker trade. His work this summer to assemble a bench unit that would have been over the hill even two years ago has bit them badly in this series when a more serviceable bench unit could have bought them an extra game or two to see if Giannis could return for a Game 6 or 7. Beasley can't guard anyone. Crowder is basically unplayable (a decision Bud also made in last year's playoffs). The fact that Horst waited until the trade deadline last year to acquire Crowder (who had sat out for 9 months) as his only move and then resigned him this year to play a major role off the bench is one of the worst of his tenure. Anyone else but Crowder would have been better to acquire for seemingly every 2nd round pick they could trade. It's almost like he resigned him as an FU to Bud to show him he screwed up by not playing him in last year's playoffs.
He's lucky to have gotten Pat Bev for Payne or this series would be even worse since he's the only guard they have that can play on-ball defense. Holding onto and signing Connaughton, Beasley, and Crowder (and arguably Portis) have all been various levels of disasters.
https://www.theringer.com/nba/...kee-bucks-nba-rumors
Now, why would Horst leave the Bucks for the league’s worst team? He is a Michigan native who got his start working in the NBA as a front office assistant with the Pistons. In his 16 years with the Bucks, he’s risen up the ranks, but his power has dwindled in recent years. Giannis Antetokounmpo was more or less able to choose Adrian Griffin to be the Bucks head coach last summer, even though Horst wanted Nick Nurse. Then ownership chose Doc Rivers, though Horst wanted Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson. And after years of bolstering the roster around Giannis, the Bucks now have the second-oldest team in the league, have suffered major injuries in three straight postseasons, and don’t have the rights to any of their firsts until 2031. This confluence of circumstances might make the prospect of a fresh, malleable start appealing.
