What have the Milwaukee Bucks improved under Doc Rivers? Breaking down 3 areas

Defensive Rating

Last but certainly not least, the marker of why Adrian Griffin was let go was obviously the Milwaukee Bucks underperforming on defense. Sure, the Bucks' record looked decent, but they were relying on their offense to just outscore teams every game instead of playing to their identity of being a good two way team that can turn defense into offense.

So, Doc Rivers, who was brought in to fix the Bucks' defense, has done so in a pretty short period of time considering the All-Star break also happened since he took over, and I believe the record will follow. It seems that the team believes in it also.

The last mark to check from the pre-Doc Rivers and during Doc Rivers coaching era with the Bucks, is defensive rating. Up to January 22, the Milwaukee Bucks' defensive rating was 115.5, 17th in the NBA. Since then, the Bucks defensive rating is 111.8, good enough for fifth in the NBA!

The Milwaukee Bucks have jumped 15 spots in the NBA ranks in defensive rating in a month! Not only that, they've done it with some guys in and out of the lineup, having played the defending champion Denver Nuggets twice, one of the best young teams in the league in the Minnesota Timberwolves twice, put on a pretty impressive defensive display against the Dallas Mavericks and now have held three of their last six opponents under 100 points!

If the Bucks' defensive rating isn't enough to convince you that their record under Doc Rivers will improve as guys get more comfortable and acclimated, not to mention incorporating Patrick Beverly, who was acquired at the trade deadline, I don't think there's anything that will.

Doc Rivers was brought in to fix the Milwaukee Bucks defense and he is doing that.