The Bucks finally fired coach Doc Rivers and his disastrous tenure in Milwaukee should teach them to cast a wider net for the next coaching hire. Rivers was originally selected as a “safe” option with years of coaching experience, but he never clicked well with the Bucks. Rather than settling for another well-known candidate, the Bucks would do well to include lesser-known coaches who could be a better fit in their search.
The Bucks need a breath of fresh air at head coach
Rivers consistently showed that his coaching philosophy was outdated in the last two years. He not only failed to adapt to the modern play style, but also failed to meaningfully develop young talent. In the end, Rivers’ coaching weaknesses were rightfully identified as an easy area of improvement for the Bucks.
Even after Doc has taken his leave, there are still rumors of the Bucks sticking with other similar coaches on their staff. But promoting a “safe” pick could be a disastrous decision for the franchise. The last thing the Bucks need is anyone similar to Doc leading the team in future years.
Instead, it’s clear the Bucks are in a very tumultuous spot that traditional coaches may not be equipped to handle. They have to navigate a disgruntled superstar with rising young talents and a precarious financial situation. Milwaukee will always have championship ambitions as long as they employ Giannis Antetokounmpo, but reaching those ambitions will take a coaching masterpiece.
There are other coaching options available
Fortunately for the Bucks, there are plenty of options for quality head coaches around the basketball world. For one, there are plenty of good coaches on the free agent market, most notably Tom Thibodeau and former Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer. Beyond that, there’s also a plethora of up-and-coming young coaches serving as assistants who wouldn’t mind getting their first head coaching gig.
One good thing about the timing of Rivers’ departure is that the Bucks don’t have to rush to replace him midseason. In fact, that’s how they ended up with Rivers after firing Adrian Griffin in the first place. Getting a full offseason without the pressure of ongoing games to find their next coach should be a positive for the organization.
The Bucks need to do their due diligence and evaluate all the potential coaching candidates properly. They’re far beyond the point of writing off a coach simply for lack of experience or name recognition. If the Bucks keep an open mind going into the offseason, they might just stumble upon a hidden gem of a coach who can help turn things around.
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