Doc Rivers and his staff have been announced as the ones who will coach the Eastern All-Stars for the All-Star Game on February 18 in Indianapolis. Rivers got the honor after the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Dallas Mavericks 129-117 on Saturday night, and the 62-year-old stated he would give up his ring and bonus to Adrian Griffin.
“That is ridiculously bad. It really is,” Rivers said. “Well, Adrian’s going to get some money, that’s for sure. And a ring. It’s one of these quirky things. I think there should be a rule somehow that someone else does it other than me. Maybe I’ll send my staff and I’ll go on vacation… I’m going to run that by Adam Silver. I think Adam’s a good man. I think he’ll understand.”
Griffin had led the Bucks to a 30-13 record before he was fired by the team, while Rivers is 1-2 in the three games that he has been in charge. It was only fair that Griffin got the money and the ring, and Rivers should be applauded for doing it without being asked to.
For those wondering how Doc got that gig, the head coach for the team with the best record in the East on February 4 gets to coach the Eastern All-Stars. Now, an individual cannot be the coach in back-to-back years, so Boston Celtics head coach, Joe Mazzulla, was not eligible, as he coached last year.
That meant the honor went to the head coach of the team with the second-best record, Rivers. It will be the fourth time he coaches in an All-Star Game after 2008, 2011, and 2021, unless commissioner Adam Silver agrees to his request to go on a vacation. Some of his assistant coaches have actually been there the whole season, so they would have earned the honor of coaching in that game.
There Is A Lot Of Pressure On Doc Rivers This Season
When Rivers got off to a 0-2 start as Bucks head coach, his critics were starting to sharpen their knives. While this was just a regular season game against the Mavericks, it would have been a source of great relief to just get that first win.
The Bucks seemed headed toward another loss as they were down by as many as 25 points but staged a terrific comeback, and won somewhat comfortably at the end. Giannis Antetokounmpo was a big reason why, as he finished with 48 points, 6 rebounds, 10 assists, 5 steals, and 1 block.
Helping Antetokounmpo win his second championship is why Rivers has been brought in. His recent history, however, doesn’t give you any reason to believe Doc is the man for the job.
Rivers won his only title in 2008, and last made it to the NBA Finals in 2010. The last time a Rivers-led team even made the Conference Finals was back in 2012. If that drought extends this season, more questions will start to be asked about his credentials.
Gilbert Arenas is already calling for the Bucks to fire Rivers, as he doesn’t believe Doc is the right man for the job. Ultimately, I think this gig will end up defining Rivers’ career as a coach. If he fails to get over the line, all the credit for that 2008 title will go to that Celtics team, but if he wins the title, the critics will have to shut up for good.
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