Reaction to the Milwaukee Bucks interviewing Adrian Griffin for coaching job

The Milwaukee Bucks are wasting no time casting a wide net as they seek their next head coach.

On May 10, Kenny Atkinson, James Borrego, and Charles Lee were revealed to be the first names linked to the opening. On May 11, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Bucks have been given permission to interview Blazers’ assistant Scott Brooks. Hours later, Wojnarowski has said that the Bucks have received permission to interview Adrian Griffin of the Toronto Raptors.

Reaction to the Milwaukee Bucks interviewing Adrian Griffin for coaching job

Griffin has spent the past five seasons with the Raptors as an assistant. With Nick Nurse, the man many want to be the Bucks’ next head coach, being dismissed after the season, Griffin seems like the frontrunner for the Raptors’ current opening. Yet, the Bucks clearly want to bring him in for an interview. Griffin has familiarity with Milwaukee, as he was an assistant for former Bucks’ coach Scott Skiles between 2008-2010. Griffin has worked under some well-known coaches during his days as an assistant, notably Nick Nurse (Toronto) and Tom Thibodeau (Chicago).

While Griffin seems like he will be a competent head coach in this league, the one thing that could turn off the Bucks is his lack of experience. This is a team that needs to hit it out of the park with their next hire to maximize their contending window, and there is some danger in doing that with a first-year head coach. It’s among the reasons why some are hesitant to bring in Bucks’ assistant Charles Lee, who is also in the mix for the Raptors’ opening, as the new head coach. Not all head coaches are bad in their first year, but their inexperience is just something to consider, especially for a team like Milwaukee that desperately needs to bounce back next season.

With five names brought into the mix in less than two days, the Milwaukee Bucks are wasting no time putting together a list of desirable coaching candidates. It will be fascinating to see who else gets named in what should be a lengthy list of potential names.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.