Budenholzer: Giannis is 'nightmare to coach against'

The Milwaukee Bucks officially introduced Mike Budenholzer as their head coach on Monday, and the 2015 NBA Coach of the Year sounded relieved to have superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo on his side for a change.

"It was miserable coaching against him and I'm so happy to be (saying), '(No.) 34's on my team?'" Budenholzer said, according to The Associated Press' Genaro C. Armas. "That's like really cool.

"He's a nightmare to coach against, to game plan, to figure out how you can keep him away from the basket."

Milwaukee (44-38) failed to meet lofty expectations and finished seventh in the Eastern Conference this season. Its long-limbed starting line had the type of athleticism to build a top-five defense; however, the Bucks finished with the 17th-ranked defensive rating of 107.1 per 100 possessions.

"I think with the individual talents we have in Milwaukee ... I think one of the words I used in the interview process was, 'How can we unlock this talent defensively?'" Budenholzer said. "I just think there's so much to work with."

Budenholzer coached the Atlanta Hawks the past five seasons, finishing with a combined 213-197 record. He parted ways with the franchise as it enters a rebuilding phase, winning just 24 games this year.