The Milwaukee Bucks had a long season filled with challenges and questions regarding the head coaching position. After Mike Budenholzer was fired by the team after being eliminated from the first round of the NBA playoffs at the hands of the Miami Heat, the team decided to hire Adrian Griffin, who had the support of Giannis Antetokounmpo. It was a move that some questioned at the time, but it ended in disaster.
You could argue that Griffin didn’t get a fair shake. After all, the Bucks acquired Damian Lillard slow in the offseason, which left the team very little time to develop chemistry together before the season began. But despite the team’s sizzling start, questions remained about Griffin’s leadership and communication. For these and many other reasons we may not be aware of, Griffin was fired when Milwaukee was 30-13 on the season.
After three games with Joe Prunty as interim head coach (the Bucks won 2-1), Milwaukee brought in NBA champion Doc Rivers to finish the season and hopefully bring back multiple titles to the city.
The Milwaukee Bucks have struggled with numerous injuries under Doc Rovers
Many fans and pundits will point to the fact that the Bucks finished the season with a 17-19 record with Rivers and used it as a knockdown for the head coach. It should be noted, however, that Rivers had the opportunity to play alongside Giannis, Lillard and Khris Middleton at the same time in just six games as a head coach.
Giannis, a two-time NBA MVP, strained his knee and missed the final three games of the regular season. He also missed the entire series against the Indiana Pacers, which the Bucks lost 4-2. In addition to Giannis’ season-ending injury, Lillard suffered an Achilles tendon injury in the playoffs that also sidelined him and severely constrained him in other games.
All this to say that it’s too early to determine how well the Bucks can and/or will play under Rivers as head coach. He should receive the benefits of a vigorous roster and, unlike Griffin, an offseason where Giannis and Lillard work together to prepare and learn how they can better play together.
Former NBA player Matt Barnes is brutally straightforward about Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers
Rivers, however, still has a vast group of opponents. In an interview for Third and long podcast Matt Barnes, who played for Rivers when he was with the Los Angeles Clippers, had a brutally straightforward confession about his former coach:
“I think the Doctor’s strength is that he is a great motivator, he can communicate well with people. It will prepare you.
“I think his weakness is just keeping it real when he needs to keep it real. Other than that it’s just kind of strategy and adjustments in the game. Again, I’m not talking bad about him. I played for better coaches, which he would probably say, “I’ve coached better players, you know.”
“If he were to repay me. He has some associations with this league. He is always the first coach called for big occasions.”
Other coaches that Barnes played for during his NBA career included Mike Dunleavy, Rick Adelman, Larry Brown, Maurice Cheeks, Steve Kerr, Stan Van Gundy and Phil Jackson.
Jackson, in particular, can easily be considered a better coach than Rivers, which is not a defeat for the Bucks’ coach, because Jackson is one of the best coaches in NBA history. Kerr won four NBA championships while Rivers only won one.
Perhaps it’s best to just take Barnes’ words at face value; According to him, he is not trying to deprive Rivers of his coaching position. He just says that there have been better coaches in the history of the league.
What is the truth.
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