With NBA All-Star Weekend now behind us, the focus will turn to the stretch run of the 2023-24 regular season. One of the teams people will be keeping a close eye on in the coming weeks is the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks shocked a lot of people when they fired head coach Adrian Griffin despite the team being 30-13. Some people cited the lack of defense as a reason a change was made, as others reported that it was player-driven.
The person tabbed to take over for Griffin was Doc Rivers, who was working as a consultant for the franchise. Taking over a team midseason is not an easy thing to do and Rivers is experiencing that firsthand as the Bucks have struggled mightily since he took over.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: J.J. Redick, Doc Rivers, Milwaukee Bucks Updates
Milwaukee is 3-7 under Rivers and has slipped in the Eastern Conference standing as a result. As head coach of the East All-Star Team, Rivers was in Indianapolis this weekend. During one of the opportunities to speak to the press, he offered an interesting comment, saying, “would have been a lot nicer” if he assumed the position after the All-Star break.
It was a weird thing to say, as Rivers has provided a lot of words during his tenure as Bucks head coach but not a lot of action. It is something that at least one NBA analyst is tired of.
During an appearance on ESPN’s First Take, former NBA guard J.J. Redick tore into Rivers, who was his former head coach. Redick played under him for four seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers and called Rivers out for some of the things he has said in recent days.
“I’ve seen the trend for years. The trend is always making excuses. Doc, we get it. Taking over a team in the middle of a season is hard… it’s always an excuse. It’s always throwing your team under the bus… there’s never accountability with that guy,” Redick said when talking to Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe.
Those are some strong comments from Redick, who didn’t mince his words when speaking about his former head coach. Interestingly, Redick will also be taking over Rivers’ spot during ESPN/ABC coverage of the NBA Finals this year.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: J.J. Redick, Doc Rivers, Milwaukee Bucks Updates
While those criticisms are serious, Redick has been consistent in his opinion of Rivers since it was announced he would be taking over as the Bucks’ head coach. He didn’t like the firing of Griffin and doesn’t believer Rivers is the guy who will get the team over the top, either.
To this point, all of the criticisms that Redick has shared have come to fruition. The Bucks have blown some big leads with Rivers on the sidelines, something that isn’t new for teams he coaches. They have also suffered some brutal losses, including to a Memphis Grizzlies team that more closely resembles a G League team than an NBA roster at this point.
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