The Milwaukee Bucks clearly didn't like what they saw in Adrian Griffin and fired him midway into his first season as head coach. Thinking there were greener pastures, they hired Doc Rivers immediately after and rolled with him. It's been a disaster, and it feels like those events currently have the Bucks skittish about making another mid-season coaching change despite needing one.
Bucks likely rolling with Rivers despite sluggish play
Adrian Griffin had a 30-13 record when the Milwaukee Bucks fired him. Doc Rivers is 80-74 during the regular season and 3-8 in the playoffs. Things weren't perfect under Griffin, but they have been worse under Rivers. Despite this, he has a long, long leash. Even now, the Bucks are 14-20 and feel like they are living and dying with Rivers this season. That's a bold gamble.
Many felt like Rivers would inevitably be out of town this past summer following Milwaukee's second consecutive first-round exit at the hands of the Indiana Pacers. However, they kept him, and it might not have been because they loved his coaching. NBA insider Marc Stein (subscription required) said that the Bucks kept Rivers as part of their pitch to Giannis Antetokounmpo, who respects him.
It worked, as Giannis didn't request a trade this summer. However, now, the Milwaukee Bucks are in between a rock and a hard place. If they keep losing with Rivers at the helm, Giannis could very well request a trade in the near future or in the summer. If they fire Rivers, they take on more dead money and bring in a coach in what could be another short-sighted move.
Admittedly, firing a coach mid-season isn't ideal. It limits the market in terms of replacements. If the Bucks were to fire Doc Rivers now, they are likely promoting Darvin Ham to lead man. Would he make a massive difference? It's possible, but he's been there with Rivers through all of the meetings, film sessions, and practices this season.
Ideally, the Milwaukee Bucks would have cut ties last summer and started fresh then. Now, they are currently sinking, and all signs point to the captain going down with the ship.
As rumors about Giannis Antetokounmpo's future with the franchise swirl, the Milwaukee Bucks are bound to get desperate over the next month or two. Whether that means swinging a major trade or caving and making an overdue coaching change, something needs to happen.
Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis.