When the Milwaukee Bucks dismissed first-year head coach Adrian Griffin on January 23rd, the team boasted a 30-13 record, placing them among the NBA’s top five. The decision seemed perplexing at the time, as the team was performing well, despite occasional defensive lapses.
The Bucks opted to hire Doc Rivers, a move met with criticism given his recent coaching history. Rivers, who had been serving as a consultant for the franchise, had been let go by both the Clippers and the 76ers, with concerns about his ability to capitalize on championship-caliber rosters.
Although it’s still the regular season, the Bucks’ championship aspirations appear to be fading. A recent 122-109 loss to the New York Knicks, where they squandered a double-digit halftime lead, marked their fourth consecutive defeat. While losing to a competitive Knicks team led by Jalen Brunson’s 43-point performance isn’t shameful, the other three losses in their skid came against the Wizards, Grizzlies, and Raptors, all among the NBA’s weakest teams.
Despite having their preferred starting five healthy, the Bucks have been playing subpar basketball since Rivers took over, compiling a 15-17 record. Although they currently hold the second seed in the Eastern Conference, their lead over teams like the Knicks, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Indiana Pacers is narrowing, raising concerns about their playoff positioning.
With the possibility of dropping to the sixth seed and losing home-court advantage in the first round looming, the decision to replace Griffin with Rivers is being scrutinized. Rivers’ track record suggests he hasn’t significantly improved a team in quite some time, leading to regrets over the coaching change in Milwaukee.
