Former NBA player calls out Bucks coach Doc Rivers for lack of accountability

The Doc Rivers coaching era has not gotten off to the greatest start for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Milwaukee is just 3-7 since Rivers took over, and while there have been glimmers of hope shining through the cracks here and there, the record speaks for itself.

Rivers recently went on the record saying that the job has been harder than he thought it would be, which irked some. He also caught negative press recently for saying "We had some guys here, we had some guys in Cabo" following Milwaukee's ugly loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, blaming the players rather than taking on some of that responsibility.

Speaking on ESPN's First Take, JJ Redick, who played under Rivers, didn't hold back on his former head coach, saying "I've seen the trend for years. The trend is always making excuses. Doc, we get it. Taking over a team in the middle of a season is hard... it's always an excuse. It's always throwing your team under the bus... there's never accountability with that guy."

Former NBA player calls out Bucks coach Doc Rivers for lack of accountability

Redick and Rivers did not always seen eye to eye during their days together, so there could very well be some personal feelings behind these comments. However, Redick does somewhat have a point, as Rivers has been pointing the finger quite a bit since he came aboard. It's undoubtedly a difficult situation for Rivers, but he's a veteran, and that's why the Bucks essentially wrote him a blank check.

As for his comments going at the players, particularly after the Memphis loss, Rivers is not afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. If he believes someone is slacking, they will hear about it. Some believe things like that should be solved behind closed doors, but sometimes, hearing the coach call players out to the media can provide a sense of urgency in the locker room.

He undoubtedly has to be better, and perhaps the All-Star break, which is when he initially wanted to start coaching the team in the first place, will give him a chance to finally settle in. The players have to buy in as well, playing with more effort and intensity. At the end of the day, basketball is a team sport, and every single person who clocks in every day has to be better.

Hopefully Redick's comments do nothing but ignite extra fire in this unit and inspire them to be better.

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