Doc Rivers is learning the same lesson for the second time, except now he's got fewer excuses to ignore it. Jericho Sims finally got 8 minutes in Milwaukee's 118-112 loss to Cleveland, and it only took three games for Rivers to remember what should've been obvious from last season.
Like clockwork, we're right back to wishing Rivers would play Sims as if last season's lessons learned never happened. Both the eye test and the results from last year's sparse experiments of the Giannis-Sims frontcourt pairing were screaming at everyone. Giannis and Sims together simply played elite defensive basketball that Rivers stubbornly refused to use until the playoffs were already slipping away.
Now here we are again, watching Bobby Portis struggle to fit Milwaukee's new identity while Sims sits on the bench with answers the team desperately needs. The truth is Bobby Portis does not fit this team, and hopefully this means Rivers is starting to see that.
Doc Rivers is starting to see Jericho Sims' value; hopefully this time it sticks
Sims brings everything Milwaukee's revamped roster is built around. He won't slow down the offense because he's not calling for post touches every possession. He actually plays defense instead of getting hunted in pick-and-roll coverage. He runs the floor hard and finishes lobs, which is exactly what this pace-and-space system needs from the center position.
Bobby's got the heart and the shooting touch, but his plodding style kills what makes this roster dangerous. Every time he checks in, the tempo drops, and suddenly Milwaukee looks like the team that got bounced in the first round instead of the athletic group trying to push pace.
It's a lesson Rivers may need to re-learn: he simply needs to give the athletic Sims more run. Eight minutes isn't enough when you've got a 7-footer who can switch defensively, protect the rim, and actually complement Giannis' game instead of conflicting with it.
The frustrating part is Rivers already knows this works. He saw it last season. The data proved it. Yet he keeps defaulting back to Bobby because of loyalty or vibes or whatever non-basketball reasons coaches convince themselves matter more than winning.
In case you needed a reminder, the Bucks registered a defensive rating of 88.9 points given up per 100 possessions when Antetokounmpo and Sims shared the floor together a season ago. That's according to PBP Stats.
Per Cleaning the Glass, opposing teams also scored -2.2 points fewer per 100 possessions whenever Sims played, putting him in the 71st percentile among big men in defensive rating.
Cleveland exposed Milwaukee's defensive weaknesses in this loss, and guess what could've helped against the size and length of Evan Mobley? A legitimate rim protector who can move his feet and contest shots without fouling. Sims provides that. Portis doesn't.
If Rivers is finally coming around to this realization, great. Better late than never. But Milwaukee doesn't have time for a slow learning curve when Giannis' championship window is actively closing.
Nobody's advocating for Portis to lose his rotation spot completely, of course. But this is only to say that Sims should be getting much more than eight minutes a game based purely on fit and effectiveness. Every game Rivers waits to make that adjustment is another game wasted.
The lesson from last season was crystal clear: Giannis plus Sims equals elite defense. Time to actually apply it before this season spirals the same direction as the last one.