Doc Rivers may be best suited to coach a version of the Bucks that ultimately no longer exists. They once bludgeoned their way to a title behind Giannis and a mathematically-optimized scheme, but this team is older and slower than the 2021 vintage and the rest of the East is better.
Doc Rivers may not be one of the best coaches of all time, but he’s certainly one of the most successful. His 1,114 regular wins are the eighth most in NBA history and his 113 postseason wins are the fourth most. He’s coached 42 All-Stars. Across 24 seasons, he’s had a losing record just four times. The problem? Last season was one of those four.
While Rivers did scale back the tetchiness, he also oversaw some of the worst Bucks basketball in this decade. Under Rivers, the Bucks went 17-19 in his 36 games and then lost in the first round of the playoffs, while Giannis Antetokounmpo nursed a strained calf. For years, the Bucks have been deemed too dogmatic, too stubborn, too unyielding to fully capitalize on their wealth of talent. After last season, they seemed too old—and perhaps just too bad.
Unsurprisingly, Antetokounmpo found immediate synergy with Damian Lillard in their first season together. While their pick-and-roll chemistry was somewhat halting, they were still a dominant duo. With Antetokounmpo and Lillard on court together, the Bucks posted a 123.95 offensive rating and walloped teams by nearly 10 points per 100 possessions; when one star played without the other, the Bucks struggled to break even.
And that’s true, but it’s also missing the point. If your master plan requires three aging, increasingly injury-prone players to stay healthy from October through June, it’s probably not a good plan;At this point in his career, Antetokounmpo—or more specifically, Antetkounmpo’s legs—can’t quite withstand a full season of his unique, high-lift brilliance. His entire game is built around winning individual physical battles. When he jumps, he soars over defenders; when he sprints, they lag behind.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
In CBS Rankings of NBA Coaches, Milwaukee Bucks' Doc Rivers Is No. 22 out of 30In his 25 seasons, Doc Rivers has been coach of the year and won an NBA title. But underachieving seasons in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, plus last year's struggles with the Milwaukee Bucks, have left CBS Sports unimpressed.
Read more »
Doc Lanky’s takes over Two Bucks space in Lakewood as approachable dive bar, restaurantDoc Lanky’s is the latest bar and restaurant to join Lakewood in the former Two Bucks space from two brothers with a love for Cleveland’s West Side. Mitch and Braden Eyerman made their debut in the restaurant business with Doc Lanky’s at 15609 Madison Avenue.
Read more »
Previewing Bucks jersey number changes for the 2024-25 Milwaukee BucksComing into the 2024-25 season, the Milwaukee Bucks will have several notable jersey number changes.
Read more »
Melissa Rivers Says Joan Would Have More Fashion Police Material NowMelissa Rivers reflected on her late mom, Joan Rivers, and her ‘Fashion Police’ legacy
Read more »
Bucks open 2024-25 NBA season with new coaching staffAfter finding his footing as the Milwaukee Bucks head coach during the second half of last NBA season, Doc Rivers enters this upcoming season with a new staff.
Read more »
Greensboro Swarm Name DJ Bakker as Head CoachBakker was previously an assistant coach with the Milwaukee Bucks
Read more »