Entering the season, the Milwaukee Bucks' apparent roster depth was one of the more encouraging things about this team. Two months in, injuries, underperformance, and Doc Rivers' stubborn refusal to simply play his guys have dissolved that notion in a hurry. As something the team can control, it's the last factor that is the most maddening. Thursday night against the Raptors, the Bucks played only eight guys despite clear deficiencies in that rotation.
It's not like he has many good options, but instead of trying to maximize the end of his bench, Rivers has abandoned it altogether. On this Bucks roster, that's just not going to work.
Rivers is limiting his options when he doesn't have to
The Bucks did not get enough from their starters. Most obviously, Gary Trent Jr. was awful, going 1-for-8 for three points. In his first game back from a shoulder injury, AJ Green didn't look good, either. Kevin Porter Jr. did not have his best night (7-for-18 from the field, plus seven turnovers).
Off the bench, they turned to Ryan Rollins, Bobby Portis, and Gary Harris. That's it.
Kyle Kuzma's illness-related absence did not help, of course, subtracting a regular piece of Milwaukee's rotation. Giannis Antetokounmpo isn't coming back any time soon. Taurean Prince is done for the year. Like many teams, the Milwaukee Bucks are not at full strength.
Still, the reserves who touched the floor played well against the Raptors. That's not the issue. The issue is giving Trent 30 minutes and failing to mix and match with in-game adjustments. That is not to advocate for 20 Cole Anthony minutes - Bucks fans have already seen that show - but what, Rivers just isn't going to use his fringe guys as the team grasps for answers? He may not have a full deck to shuffle, but it's like he threw out all the low cards on top of that.
In his favor, it's time to realize that guys like Anthony and Amir Coffey aren't what the Bucks hoped they would be. Anthony can't stop turning the ball over, and Coffey hasn't done much of anything. Andre Jackson Jr. is limited. To his credit, Rivers hasn't force-fed minutes to free agents like Anthony and Coffey just because they're veteran players.
But it's quite possible he has swung too far the other way. The Bucks were begging for wing help against the Raptors. Down Kuzma, that was as good a time as any to give Jackson a spin. He's not going to win them the game, but if there's one thing he can do, it's play defense.
What about Coffey? It's okay to take the L on that signing, but is he never going to touch the floor again? Trent posted a team-worst minus-15 in the box score. The Bucks had little to lose by giving someone else a chance.
Maybe Anthony has proven himself downright unplayable, but Mark Sears exists. He's a rookie, but he's got some chops as a shot creator. Perhaps he would have been a poor match against the big and brawny Raptors, but he hasn't played in nearly a month, even when active. Plenty of fans would like to see more of Pete Nance.
It's hardly all Rivers' fault. He didn't make Kuzma sick or injure Prince. Anthony and Coffey have been busts; the front office gambled and lost. But Rivers isn't helping the roster reach whatever ceiling there is. When his regulars aren't getting the job done, artificially capping the rotation just stunts the Bucks further.