In a chat on Sirius XM NBA Radio, new Bucks coach Doc Rivers revealed the full extent of his doubts when he was hired as a replacement for the disgraced Adrian Griffin. Rivers was completely dumbfounded by the move and, to this day, fails to understand why they didn’t keep the coach they fired this past summer.
“To be honest, I told our owners when they called, I said, ‘I don’t understand why you’re doing this.’ One of the things they said was ‘It doesn’t matter we’ve done it now’ and we want you,” said Rivers. “So that was a tough one and that’s where you have hesitation.”
Rivers, who was recently named as one of the NBA’s Top 15 coaches ever, has experience with the Magic, Celtics, Clippers, 76ers, and, currently, the 76ers. After leaving his previous gig, Doc was believed to be out of the business until he was mysteriously taped to be the Bucks’ newest head coach. So far, however, it’s been anything but smooth sailing.
It’s quite rare for a coach to be so open and public about his hesitation in accepting the job, especially since the Bucks have struggled under his tenure. Despite taking on an advisory role for the team a while ago, Rivers was apparently not involved in the firing of Griffin. At the time, the Bucks were 30-13, good for second in the East, with one of the best offenses in the NBA.
The circumstances behind Griffin’s firing still aren’t entirely known but it’s believed that a slip in defense and some bad signs from Giannis Antetokounmpo could have played a role. Even so, there is no turning back now and the Bucks have no choice but to make things work as presently constructed.
With a quarter of the season remaining, the biggest question now for the Bucks is if they can reach their potential before the postseason, or if they are doomed to flame out in the early rounds again. Giannis Antetokounmpo gives them a chance against anyone, but it’s hard to ignore how flawed they are right now.
Can Doc Rivers Fix The Milwaukee Bucks?
From the very beginning, there were signs that this team wasn’t quite right. From the firing of Terry Stotts to the shaky play on both ends of the basketball court, belief in the Bucks reached an all-time low heading into the New Year.
Once revered for being among the best defensive teams in the league under Mike Budenholzer, the Bucks have since lost all defensive identity and show almost no resistance on the perimeter. Perhaps even worse has been the struggles of Damian Lillard, who is having one of the worst seasons of his career after the Bucks gave up so much in the trade for him back in August.
This is the situation that Doc Rivers inherited when he took the head coaching job last month. Instead of turning down the opportunity and leaving himself to enjoy basketball retirement, he got himself mixed into this mess and he’s been the center of blame for critics, fans, and analysts alike.
With the next two games against the Timberwolves and 76ers, things could get worse before they get better in Milwaukee and there is a lingering feeling of regret when you look t how they’ve handled their head coaching situation this past year. Now, it’s too late to go back and the Bucks will have to live with whatever result comes next.
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