Doc Rivers was once considered one of the most esteemed head coaches in the NBA, but recent failure has ruined the 2008 NBA champion’s reputation.
Evidently, when the Milwaukee Bucks welcomed Rivers as their head coach last season, the decision received mixed reviews. For what it’s worth, the doubters were proven right when Doc failed to coach the Bucks to a successful postseason run.
Despite that, former Bucks veteran Patrick Beverley is done with Rivers’ disrespect. In fact, he even compared the Bucks coach to none other than the legendary Zen Master Phil Jackson.
Pat Bev urges an end to Doc Rivers’ disrespect
Beverley last played in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2023-24 season. The 36-year-old guard shared his experience of playing under Doc and had nothing but praise for the former Philadelphia 76ers head coach in a latest episode of his podcast.
“You gotta have Greek on that Christmas Day game,” Beverley said. They’re trying to slander Doc, I don’t know. I’ve seen some coaching rankings, they had Doc (at) 22.
“Dawg, I almost threw my f___ing phone. Phil Jackson is Doc Rivers, man! They got to put more respect on my coach’s name.
“It’s getting disrespectful. They wouldn’t do Phil Jackson like that, why are they doing Doc like that? It’s wild.”
Now, that’s an interesting comparison. Sure, Rivers led the Boston Celtics to a famous NBA Finals win over the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers in 2008. But since then, Doc has failed to live up to expectations.
On the other hand, Jackson is the most successful head coach of all time. The Zen Master won six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls in th 1990s. After the Bulls dynasty was disbanded, Jackson helped Kobe win five NBA titles.
As for Beverley’s claims, it’s understandable that he holds Rivers to a pedestal as he shares a long history with him. Even before playing for Doc on the Bucks, Pat Bev spent three seasons under his coaching with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Rivers needs to prove his doubters wrong
Keeping Rivers’ last few postseason performances in mind, the only way to fix his reputation is to likely lead the Bucks to an NBA Championship sooner rather than later. Thankfully, the Bucks are in a perfect position to make a deep playoff run for the foreseeable future.
With the dynamic duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard in the driving seat and a solid supporting cast spearheaded by Khris Middleton.
Last season, the Bucks earned a third-seeded finish in the Eastern Conference with a record of 49-33. The organization faced its second consecutive first-round exit from the playoffs.
Ahead of the 2024-25 season, the Bucks are still viewed as a strong contender to dethrone the Celtics as the undoubted leaders of the East. Will Doc come up with an innovative coaching style to overcome his former team’s All-Star roster? Fans will find out soon.
