Bucks Show Signs of Improvement Under Doc Rivers
The Milwaukee Bucks made a surprising coaching change mid-season, replacing Adrian Griffin with veteran coach Doc Rivers. While the move raised questions, the team has shown positive signs under Rivers’ leadership, winning their last three games.
Defense Takes Center Stage:
One significant change under Rivers is the emphasis on a simplified defensive approach. Chris Mannix, an NBA insider, revealed on a podcast that Rivers identified the Bucks’ prior strategy as overly complex, involving “6, 7, 8 different things” confusing players during game-time execution.
Rivers emphasizes simplicity, similar to successful defensive teams like the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets. This new approach has yielded positive results, with the Bucks recently holding opponents like the 76ers and Hornets to under 100 points.
Questioning Prior Assumptions:
Mannix also shared that Rivers challenged the notion that losing Jrue Holiday significantly impacted the team. This suggests the new coach believes in the team’s potential despite personnel changes.
A Bold Choice, But Early Signs Are Positive:
The decision to replace Griffin with Rivers was unexpected, but the team’s recent performance indicates potential for success, particularly if the defensive improvements continue during the playoffs.
Clarification on Lillard’s “Lonely” Comments:
Separate from the coaching change news, the article clarifies recent comments by Bucks player Damian Lillard regarding his life in Milwaukee.
While Lillard’s initial comments about not having much of a life went viral and were interpreted as complaints about the city, Chris Mannix explains that they were likely misconstrued.
Missing the Familiarity of Home:
Mannix clarifies that Lillard’s comments are more about missing his support system, consisting of family and friends back in the West Coast, rather than being about the city itself. This is the first time in his career Lillard finds himself without his usual close knit group.
Life is Different, Not Necessarily Bad:
While adjusting to a new city and being away from loved ones is a new experience for Lillard, Mannix emphasizes that it doesn’t reflect poorly on Milwaukee. He emphasizes that Lillard would likely have faced similar isolation even in a different city.
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