Scott Skiles: ‘[Bucks] Did Not Have Good Leadership This Year’

The Milwaukee Bucks had an up-and-down season, at times looking like a Playoff contender and at times resembling a Lottery contestant. As we know, they ended up in the latter category, and head coach Scott Skiles think he knows why. Via the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel: “By now, we all now that the Bucks were a solid defensive team this season but one that was offensively challenged. And, we’re well aware of the rash of injuries that hampered the team all season. But it’s also the intangibles that contribute greatly to the success or failure of a team. Things like having a strong leadership presence among the players and a cohesive team chemistry. Those were two key areas in which the Bucks came up short this season. ‘It’s fair to say we did not have good leadership on our team this year,’ said coach Scott Skiles. ‘But that’s something you can’t manufacture. You can’t just say that guy is a leader. I guarantee you’d be shocked in all pro sports, when you’re on the inside of something like this and you know the league and players and coaches, and somebody in the media will say, ‘That guy’s the leader of that team’. Often times, it’s so far from the truth that it’s ridiculous. You can’t manufacture that. It just naturally happens. Some people are just natural leaders. Other people can cultivate it some themselves. And then you need both. If you have good leadership on the team you also need guys that will follow the leader. Chemistry and all those things are very fragile things.’ The Bucks have made it clear that they examine all facets of the team in an attempt to improve next season which sure seems like a good idea when one considers the team’s 35-47 record.”