Despite mid-season coaching changes and the appointment of a coach with a less-than-stellar playoff track record, the Milwaukee Bucks continue to set high goals.
After just 8 months away from any NBA coaching position and working for ESPN to “kill time,” Coach Doc Rivers has returned to the coaching position.
The reigning NBA champions for the 2021-22 season, the Milwaukee Bucks, have officially announced a new contract with Coach Doc Rivers. According to journalist Shams Charania, Rivers will be associated with Milwaukee until the end of the 2026-27 season with a total contract value of $40 million.
In a surprising move last week, the Milwaukee Bucks fired Coach Adrian Griffin, despite having an excellent record and standing second in the league in winning percentage.
This marks the second coaching change for the Bucks in less than 9 months. Previously, the team fired Coach Mike Budenholzer after being eliminated by the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA Playoffs in 2023.
The Bucks then appointed Adrian Griffin in hopes of bringing innovation to their playstyle, but his tenure lasted only 43 games before being fired last week.
Initially, Milwaukee Bucks’ General Manager, Jon Horst, declined to explain why Coach Adrian Griffin was fired. On January 27 (Vietnamese time), Horst officially commented on the coaching change, stating, “The reason is not because of the players, nor is it something unspeakable that has been said. It’s simply what I did to help the team get better.”
Besides rumors of disagreements in the locker room, especially involving Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, directly leading to Adrian Griffin’s dismissal, another reason cited was the decline in defensive performance.
The Bucks were one of the most solid defenses in the NBA last season, centered around Giannis Antetokounmpo and the second-place finisher in the Defensive Player of the Year race, Brook Lopez.
This season, the Bucks not only failed to maintain defensive efficiency but also dropped to 22nd out of 30 teams in Defensive Rating. This was considered a major professional reason for Griffin’s departure.
With Coach Doc Rivers, the Milwaukee Bucks’ leadership believes that the 1961-born coach can optimize the Giannis-Damian Lillard duo in offense and improve the defense to stabilize the team’s performance.
Mid-season coaching changes are often challenging to bring immediate positive results, not to mention Doc Rivers’ unimpressive playoff record in the past 15 years. However, GM Jon Horst believes there is enough time and expresses confidence in the new coach.
“I believe there is still enough of the season left for the team to build a clear direction under the new coach, where players will learn and perform together to find their best version. Building unity in a short time won’t be simple, but the team will adapt quickly thanks to the great trust they have in Coach Doc Rivers. I also believe this team can become outstanding and great,” Horst shared.