There's still plenty of time to make a coaching change, but there's a possibility the Milwaukee Bucks keep Doc Rivers for another trip around the sun. If they do, this franchise desperately needs him to fully embrace the late-season change that fueled basically all of the success this team had, which revolved around putting the right pieces on the floor around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
As easy as that might sound, it wasn't during the season. Even during their eight-game win streak to close the regular season, it was the lineups that revolved around Giannis and four athletic shooters that dug the team out of late holes. Despite this, Rivers only used these configurations sparingly, which was unbelievably frustrating when it was clear it was a rousing success.
In the playoffs, it took until the Bucks were facing elimination for Rivers to utilize this strategy as the new starting lineup, but it was all too late. Up until Game 5, where the Bucks were in a 1-3 hole, Rivers insisted on overutilizing Brook Lopez and Taurean Prince, despite their limitations. There's no telling where this team would be had they relied on these lineups sooner.
Moving forward, these lineups cannot be situational; they must be the norm for the Milwaukee Bucks.
Bucks must embrace new strategy to maximize Giannis, title chances
Of course, this won't be a single man operation. General manager Jon Horst, fresh off an extension to keep him firmly in Milwaukee, should be eager to tweak the roster this coming offseason. If Horst can assemble the right pieces around Giannis Antetokounmpo and move on from some of the weak links, it will then be up to Rivers to utilize the right lineups.
The Bucks must find athletic players who can also space the floor of all shapes and sizes to position themselves to get the most out of these lineups. For instance, Kevin Porter Jr., AJ Green, Gary Trent Jr., Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis were Milwaukee's "Death Lineup" late in the year. There was so much shooting, hustle and versatile defense in that lineup.
It would be great if the Milwaukee Bucks managed to retain those five and build upon the success of that lineup, but they should be seeking players, whether it's through trades, free agency, the draft or internal promotions, who could play and thrive in this particular circumstance.
In today's NBA, you need to be fast and athletic to stay afloat, and the Milwaukee Bucks simply were not that this past season. To correct this, Rivers may have to rely on younger players more than ever moving forward. Perhaps that entails giving Andre Jackson Jr. another chance to shine. Maybe rookie Tyler Smith will be ready to take a leap. Wherever they get it, this team needs athletes and shooters.
If he's returning as the lead shot-caller, it's clear what Doc Rivers must do to get the best out of the Milwaukee Bucks. Relying on young players has never been a strong suit for Rivers, but it felt like he relied on it more than ever this past season. Now, he must do it even more next season.
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