Doc Rivers says exactly what Bucks fans want to hear about the team's defense

By now, it's common knowledge that the Milwaukee Bucks were a poor defensive team last season.

Whether it was due to an ill-fitting roster, coaching schemes and changes or whatever else, this unit just never clicked on that side of the ball, and it was one of their biggest downfalls. This season, they are trying to find their footing defensively right from the jump, and head coach Doc Rivers said things are going very well early on in NBA training camp in that regard.

"We know what we want to do. It's so obvious how we should play defensively. There's a lot of changes in what we're doing defensively, and our guys are getting used to it. They all acknowledge that if we get this right, we're going to be really good defensively, so it's been really good stuff."

The Bucks need to hit the ground running defensively

For a team that had the 19th-best defensive rating in the 2023-24 NBA regular season, big changes can be a good thing. Those changes start with the team being able to deploy more versatile lineups due to their new additions. Newcomers Delon Wright, Taurean Prince and Gary Trent Jr. all give the team versatile perimeter defenders who can switch between matchups.

While Brook Lopez is a tremendous defender right at the hoop, there are times when the Bucks need to be more versatile and roll with Giannis Antetokounmpo at center. Last season, they didn't have the personnel needed to get the best out of these lineups, but these new additions can help change that. The shooting and defense they bring can help the Bucks be very aggressive with these small lineups.

Health will be the biggest X-factor for the Milwaukee Bucks as a whole this coming season, but their defensive effort will be a close second. They unquestionably have the offensive firepower to hold up against anyone, but it remains to be seen if they can compete with the best of them on defense. The training camp quotes from Doc Rivers do provide optimism, but it has to be seen on the court.

While things didn't improve dramatically under Rivers after he took over coaching last season, being able to actually start the year with the players should help him implement his schemes. Doing so on the fly, as Rivers did in the middle of last season, would have been difficult for even the best coaches out there, so the hope is having a full offseason and training camp with these players will help.

Rivers has orchestrated some excellent defenses before, and the hope is that this revamped roster can help him do so once again with the Milwaukee Bucks.

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