After a tumultuous week in Milwaukee, it appears as though the dust is finally settling on one of the more bizarre coaching sagas in recent NBA memory. Despite having the 2nd best record in the Eastern Conference, the Bucks opted to fire newly minted head coach Adrian Griffin this week, and appear poised to replace him with veteran bench boss Doc Rivers.
With a change in scheme and philosophy, coupled with the addition of 7x All-Star Damian Lillard, Milwaukee raced out to a 30-13 record (.698 win percentage) under Griffin. However reports of “differences of opinion” between Lillard, Giannis, and Griffin, and a drop in defensive efficiency led to concerns about the direction of the club.
Some of the defensive issues the Bucks were dealing with could be chalked up to Griffin’s system, however the loss of 5x All-NBA defensive team guard Jrue Holiday cannot be overlooked. While Lillard brings an offensive element to the court that Holiday simply couldn’t match, he’s never been known as a plus defender, and has been hunted in the past by opposing teams during the playoffs.
Griffin’s aggressive “blitz” style defense seemed to only compound Lillard’s defensive woes, leading to numerous internal discussions about the long term viability of the 49 year old with the organization. Concerns intensified when assistant Terry Stotts abruptly resigned only 5 days before the start of the regular season. When all was said and done, Griffin lasted just 233 days as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The decision to move on from Griffin sent shockwaves throughout NBA circles. However behind the scenes, coaches, and peers around the league saw trouble bubbling just below the surface for some time. Several coaches who chose to remain anonymous felt that Griffin wasn’t given a fair shake, and expressed their dismay at the short leash afforded to the first time head coach.
However, with championship aspirations, and a veteran heavy roster, the Bucks knew they had to bring in a seasoned replacement that would command respect from the locker room on Day 1. Enter, Doc Rivers.
The 62 year old is widely regarded as one of the most admired leaders in the NBA, albeit one who’s seen his fair share of postseason disappointments. Owner of 16 straight winning seasons since capturing the 2008 NBA championship with Boston, the Bucks front office can rest assured that their team will finish out the 2nd half of the season strong. However with back to back 2nd round exits, and 10 career game 7 losses, Rivers also brings a checkered postseason resume to town as well.
For now both Rivers and Milwaukee alike will be going through a feeling out process as both parties seek to determine whether there’s a long term fit between them. With a career record of 1097-763, the Chicago native will at a minimum bring a stabilizing factor to what’s been a chaotic season thus far in Wisconsin.
According to reports, former Memphis Grizzlies head coach Dave Joerger is amongst those being considered to join Rivers staff as an assistant as Milwaukee hopes a change in leadership can spur the Bucks to even greater heights in 2023-24.
Photo: Keith Allison. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.