Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers is headed to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame to be inducted as a member of the 2026 class, announced on Tuesday afternoon. For Bucks fans hoping to be rid of Rivers at season's end, however, it's not an occasion to celebrate.
Could his recent Hall of Fame induction convince ownership to keep him around? That nightmare scenario is the last thing this franchise needs.
Rivers' career achievements cannot sway Bucks in the present
Taken as a whole, Rivers admittedly owns a strong resume as a Hall of Fame coach. He is sixth all-time in regular-season wins at 1,191 in his career, just 19 behind the legendary Phil Jackson for fifth. He won a championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008. His 114 playoff wins rank fourth all-time, just ahead of Erik Spoelstra, a shoo-in Hall of Famer when his time comes.
There is something to be said for Rivers' longevity in itself. 2025-26 is his 27th season as an NBA head coach. Not many last that long. Perhaps the Bucks would second-guess themselves in dismissing Rivers after his enshrinement among the greats of the game.
The problem is that most of Rivers' success and competence came during the first half of his career, particularly in Boston. He hasn't won multiple playoff series since 2012. He hasn't reached the Finals since 2010. His overall record in Milwaukee is 94-98 in the regular season and 3-8 in the postseason.
It's not that Rivers hasn't had good teams or players. Last season, he had Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. He coached the Clippers during their Lob City peak, then landed in Philadelphia with James Harden and Joel Embiid. None of those teams advanced past the second round.
Clearly, the game has passed him by.
Rivers is not the answer for young Milwaukee roster
Hopefully, that much is obvious to Jimmy Haslam and his Bucks co-owners. Hiring Rivers made little sense in the first place. Now, he is especially unsuited to manage the young team Milwaukee has become.
For whatever reason, he simply isn't getting through to players. Flaws that surfaced early in the year remain thorns in the team's side. The Bucks' rebounding struggles can be attributed in large part to roster construction and personnel, but recurring lapses in positioning and on-court focus reflect poor coaching.
While underperformance is also a factor, there is talent in this group, yet Rivers has found a way to extract less than the sum of the parts. His rotations and lineup decisions this season have been head-scratching at best. Compare that to what Joe Mazzula has done in Boston, maintaining an awkward, gutted roster as a powerhouse in the East.
Milwaukee can't ignore the overwhelming accumulation of evidence against him because Rivers is now being feted for bygone accomplishments. No, the timing isn't ideal for a neat dismissal, but that shouldn't matter. Hall of Famer or not, Rivers simply can't be coaching this team next season.
If the Bucks don’t rub their eyes and wake up, 2026-27 will be doomed as well.