Monty Williams and his Phoenix Suns are coming off yet another brutal ending to their season. Phoenix fell down by 30 points to the Denver Nuggets at halftime of Thursday’s elimination game in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Phoenix ended up losing Game 6 by the score of 125-100. It’s the second consecutive season that the Suns have been eliminated on their home court in the playoffs in blowout fashion. To say that this isn’t a great look for the otherwise respected Monty Williams would be an understatement.
What we do know is that changes are in store for the Suns this coming summer. There are issues as it relates to depth after Phoenix sold the farm to acquire Kevin Durant as a running partner for Devin Booker back in February. The futures of Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton in the desert are firmly up in the air, too.
Back east, the Milwaukee Bucks are also coming off a premature exit in the NBA Playoffs. Milwaukee boasted the best regular season record in the Association at 58-24, only to lose to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in five games to open the playoffs. It led to the immediate dismissal of head coach Mike Budenholzer.
Related: Monty Williams to be fired? Changes in store for Phoenix Suns
Could we now see one former NBA Coach of the Year replace another in Milwaukee? According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, that’s a real possibility. The NBA insider reports that the Bucks have interest in both Williams and Los Angeles Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue.
This doesn’t necessarily come out of nowhere. A recent report indicated that the Milwaukee Bucks were currently targeting a head coach that’s employed by another team in the same role. Both Lue and Williams remain under contract with their current teams.
Though, it’s not yet known how much longer they will avoid the unemployment line. Lue’s Clippers are also coming off a first-round exit in the NBA Playoffs. His future in Southern California remains uncertain.
Monty Williams as a fit with the Milwaukee Bucks
Obviously, Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to play a role in the decision-making process for general manager Jon Horst and the Bucks. He should have some input on their search for a new head coach. That’s magnified with questions now coming up pertaining to the Greek Freak and his future in Wisconsin.
What we do know is that Williams is a highly respected individual around the Association. He’s worked with veteran-laden squads and big personalities in the past. The fit does indeed seem to be there. He also seems to fit the criteria Horst is looking for in a new head coach.
“You have to have someone that you can work with. That you can make big, hard collective decisions together collaboratively. The character of the person matters massively. I think we ran a great process last time and I think we learned a lot from that,” Milwaukee Bucks GM John Horst on head coach hiring process.
Milwaukee just received permission to speak with Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson. Other known candidates include former Charlotte Hornets head coach James Borrego and current Bucks assistant Charles Lee.
As for Monty Williams, he boasts a career 367-336 record as a head coach in stints with the Suns and New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans. That includes five playoff appearances and a conference title to his name.
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