Bucks head coach Doc Rivers just set the tone for the regular season ahead of Milwaukee's first game against the Wizards. And his players would be wise to get the message.
After three straight first-round exits, it's clear he's done pretending talent alone can save Milwaukee's season. The message for his players at his final media availability before the regular season was unmistakable: buy in completely or get left behind.
"One of the players, I think, asked me today or yesterday, 'Man, there's a lot of good teams.' And I said, 'Yeah, but there's not a lot of bought in teams. And that's a big difference,'" Rivers narrated to reporters.
"A lot of teams with a lot of players on their team, a lot of talent. But if they don't all buy in, they're not going to be a good team. And that's how I feel about us."
Doc Rivers just gave his players a warning before the season even started
That's not just generic coach speak from the oft-meandering Rivers. That's a head coach putting his foot down and putting his entire roster on notice.
The timing of this message says it all. Rivers is staring at a roster full of question marks, and he knows they can't be answered without committing to the system.
Kyle Kuzma, for instance, needs to accept he's not a second (or even third) option. Kevin Porter Jr. has to prove he can put the team first. Andre Jackson Jr. and the young guys have to embrace whatever role they're given without complaining.
"I don't think that's something that's either they do it or they don't. It's not a gray line there. It's not a 'maybe they're buying in,' it's either they do or they don't. And you know that," Rivers also said.
Rivers is right about the gray area not existing. You can tell within five games which teams are genuinely committed and which ones are just going through the motions. The extra pass gets made or it doesn't. The defensive rotation happens or it doesn't. Guys sacrifice their bodies for loose balls, or they don't. And unfortunately, the Bucks haven't always been one of those teams under Rivers.
He also didn't mince words about the kind of play and professionalism he was expecting from his roster. From the starters to the bench, it's clear he's expecting total selflessness on both ends of the floor.
"They're making the next pass, making the right cut, doing all the right things, not worried about themselves, giving themselves to the team. It's a lot to it," he said.
What's interesting is Rivers issued this rallying cry publicly. It's setting expectations before anyone can claim they didn't know what was required. When someone fails to buy in this season, Rivers has already given himself permission to bench them without explanation. After all, he's built up quite a reputation for doing just that, especially with his younger players.
The Bucks need evidence to trust in Rivers' system, too
Obviously, the questions about Rivers' coaching are always going to be there. Once you've racked up a track record like his, it's just a fact of life that's going to follow you wherever you go. But this at least shows that Rivers believes in his system and needs the players to believe in it too.
Based on what we've seen so far, the buy-in is at the very least getting there. The results are hard to ignore, too, considering the team went 3-1 in the preseason.
We all know at this point that Milwaukee's talent level isn't championship-caliber right now. (Everyone knows the mainstream media has not let anyone forget that.) Which means their only path to contention runs through complete organizational alignment. That necessitates every player sacrificing individual glory for collective success. That's asking a lot from a roster full of guys trying to prove they still belong in the league.
But Rivers isn't wrong about the difference between good teams and bought-in teams. The Celtics won because everyone from Jayson Tatum to their 10th man stayed committed to their roles. Denver's championship came from role players accepting their spots in the pecking order.
Milwaukee needs that same chemistry, but they're starting from scratch with a revamped roster and zero trust built up. Rivers is trying to shortcut that process by demanding buy-in from day one instead of hoping it develops organically.
The real test comes in January when the losses pile up and individual agendas start creeping back in. That's when Rivers will find out if this speech meant anything or if it was just noise.