The Milwaukee Bucks have plans for Amir Coffey. At least, that's how it sounds based on the glowing praise he recently received from Doc Rivers. Justin Garcia of the Locked on Bucks podcast brought up a remark Rivers made about Coffey ahead of the preseason finale.
"He's been great. He's a high IQ player. I think he's probably had the best compliment I've heard in a long time. One of our coaches said, 'You never have to coach him.' That's great to hear. It means he's always in the right place, doing the right stuff all the time, and it's what you want from him. … He's always been a solid defender, but he's making other plays now. He's making the right plays, and he's a great guy to have on your team."
Coffey primed to steal spot after coach's beaming review
Coachability and intangibles are a big reason why Rivers is so high on the six-year veteran whose roster spot on an Exhibit 9 contract seemed in precarious position not long ago.
Although Coffey didn't log major minutes or stuff the stat sheet in any of the four preseason games, he did enough on both sides of the ball to follow up a positive first impression earlier in training camp. Seemingly a candidate to be cut on an overcrowded roster, Coffey looks like all but a lock to make the team ahead of the regular season.
Coffey and Rivers shared time, briefly, on the Clippers in 2019-20, when Coffey was a rookie and Rivers the head coach for Los Angeles. Coffey cited their connection as one of the reasons he came to Milwaukee on a camp deal this summer. Since then, Coffey has become a useful wing who plays versatile defense and can knock down his threes.
Coffey isn't the type of player who will produce popular box scores. In the preseason, he took 12 shots total and averaged 3.3 points per game plus a rebound. Putting up numbers is not his job. His job will be to handle defensive assignments and cash in on a limited number of scoring opportunities, mainly catch-and-shoot looks. Even in the regular season, he might not play much more than the 11 minutes a night he averaged in exhibition play, but he can still be very useful as a larger wing.
What's most notable about Rivers' comments is his praise for Coffey's awareness as a playmaker, a role he was rarely called upon to fill with the Clippers. It's not like the Bucks are going to use him as a central facilitator, but the ability to keep a fast-paced offense flowing is something they will ask of everyone.
Aside from Coffey's tangible skills and improvements, having a veteran who knows what he's doing is an even bigger plus on a roster full of young players. Coffey himself is only 28, but that qualifies as senior status in Milwaukee. If it wasn't clear already how excited Rivers is to have him at his disposal, his final tidbit of extollment makes it hard to imagine that Coffey will start the season anywhere else than on the Bucks' 15-man roster.