While Doc Rivers has improved the Milwaukee Bucks’ defense, their offense has been surprisingly inconsistent. They are struggling to integrate their top players and find effective rotations for sustained offense throughout games.
Rivers took over as head coach on January 29th against the Denver Nuggets. Since then, the Bucks have faced a tough schedule, going 14-13, compared to just 13 losses under former coach Adrian Griffin in 43 games (though the Bucks had an easier schedule under Griffin).
Before Griffin’s departure, the Bucks ranked second in the NBA in offensive rating at 120.4, just behind the Indiana Pacers. Since Rivers took over, they’ve dropped to 19th with a rating of 114.7. Their net rating has also fallen from 4.0 to 2.2.
The Bucks have struggled with transitions this season, including under Rivers’ leadership. Rivers aims to run the offense through Damian Lillard, using his ability to draw defensive attention to create opportunities for himself and his teammates. However, Lillard is having one of his worst scoring seasons, with low percentages in three-pointers, two-pointers, and effective field goal percentage.
