One can describe the atmosphere in Milwaukee to be expired. Under the reigns of experienced coach, Doc Rivers, the Milwaukee Bucks, once not so long ago were one of the most dangerous teams in the Eastern Conference. Now, they’ve just lost their 7th contest in the past 10 games to the shorthanded Memphis Grizzlies, 113-110.
It was the decision of Milwaukee Bucks GM, John Horst to part ways with the rookie head coach after winning more than 70% of his games. Prior to his role as the full-time head coach, Griffin had served as an assistant coach on the Toronto Raptors (2018-2023), Oklahoma City Thunder (2016-2018), and the Orlando Magic (2015-2016). He was a part of the Raptors squad that won the 2019 team that won the NBA Championship. Yet, after obtaining a 32-14 record, he was fired and replaced somewhat immediately by the veteran head coach, Doc Rivers.
Is Doc Rivers the Correct Fit for the Star-Studded Milwaukee Bucks?
It’s safe to say the Doc Rivers era in Milwaukee has been less than satisfactory for the Milwaukee Bucks fans. but is this rough stretch that big of a deal?
The Milwaukee Bucks have seen years of regular season success amassing 50+ wins in three of the last four seasons, one that led to them winning the NBA Championship in 2021, but after a devastating upset last year in the first round of the playoffs, the Milwaukee Bucks subcommed to the Miami Heat in five games. Changes were destined to be made.
Mike Budenholzer, the coach who brought the NBA Championship back to Milwaukee after 50 years, was fired after five brilliant seasons.
Adrian Griffin was then signed to replace Budenholzer, but things in Milwaukee got off to a rough start, morale-wise. Tempers flared between head coach Adrian Griffin and team star, Giannis Antetounpo quite often. It was clear that the rookie coach wasn’t breaking through to his players and the team saw minimal progress, leading to his firing.
The Bucks knew that they would need a strong voice with more than a page filled with experience and who better than to sign than former NBA Champion, Doc Rivers. He met all of the criteria in Milwaukee’s search for their new coach. However, there’s always been skepticism about Doc Rivers.
Previously fired from the Philadelphia 76ers, Rivers had amassed three straight second-round exits in three years as the head coach for the 76ers. After being let go from the organization, Rivers went to the broadcasting booth to call games for ESPN/ABC with Mike Breen and Dorris Burke where he would only last half the season after being called to Milwaukee to coach the team outright.
In Doc Rivers’s first and only 10 games as head coach, he’s amounted to an abysmal 30% win record with the franchise which is nothing fans are accustomed to seeing.
Heading into the All-Star break, the Milwaukee Bucks were handed what one could call a ‘gimme’, facing a Memphis Grizzlies team with their entire starting line-up disintegrated as well as key role players. What should’ve been the confidence boost the Bucks were desperately needing, ended up as another loss in the Doc Rivers era. Frustration was emitting heavily within the franchise.
After the loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, head coach Doc Rivers did not withhold his frustration with his team’s effort and had this to say:
“First play of the game, we gamble for the 50th time in the corner. Guy drives, we have to help, leads to a 3. On our set, two guys forget what we’re running. Then we missed a shot and nobody gets back. That’s how we start out the third quarter. That tells you all you need to know about where our heads were.”
“We had some guys here, we had some guys in Cabo.”
It’s easy to say Rivers isn’t a great fit for the job right now, but these are mistakes that tend to happen when a team is experimenting with a new playstyle and adjusting to a new head coach midway through the season and that’s exactly what Rivers is doing, implementing a new design that can get the Milwaukee Bucks over the hump of mediocrity and star-driven basketball.
What to Expect in the Second Half of the NBA Season for the Milwaukee Bucks
With 26 games left in the NBA season for the Milwaukee Bucks, wins are going to be needed to ferment them as a top contender for the Championship this year. One gigantic part of the team’s success will be requiring the reliability of their star point guard, Damian Lillard.
The seven-time NBA All-Star has seen his fair share of ups and downs this year. With his shooting percentages taking what some may call a massive decline, the star just isn’t looking like his former self. It’s clear that frustration is beginning to brew with him and the organization and some have questioned whether trading away Jrue Holiday was worth it.
It’s never easy for a team filled with star players to go onto the hardwood and see losses come in so consistently. Giannis Antetounmpo had this to say after the loss against the Memphis Grizzlies:
“There’s so many things that we have to do in order for us to be better,” Antetokounmpo said. “And it starts with, we have to want it. We have to want it. We have to want it. Like, what can I — what else should I say? Do we want it? Do we really want to win? Do we want to win?”
“Guys are tired, that’s an excuse. New coach, excuse. New system, excuse. New defense, excuse. All of it, it’s excuse. At the end of the day, you’re going to go out there and try to play basketball, try to compete and they competed harder than us today. They competed harder than us two days ago. We are not on track of what we are trying to do and I feel like the team feels it. The team feels it. I feel it.”
It’s been nothing but talks of bringing the NBA Championship back to Milwaukee all season long, but this hump has given the team something to ponder over as they head into the All-Star break.
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