Many thought that the Milwaukee Bucks would part ways with Doc Rivers shortly after the team lost in the first round of the NBA Playoffs for the second time under his watch. However, days turned into weeks very quickly, and Rivers remained employed. A new tidbit from NBA insider Marc Stein reveals why exactly the coach may be in town and why his property likely won't be up for sale anytime soon.
Per Stein, the Bucks are hoping that Rivers, who has a close relationship with Antetokounmpo, can be useful in helping keep the superstar in town. Rumors have been swirling that the Greek Freak may be open to playing elsewhere if the Milwaukee Bucks cannot formulate a plan to put this team in a solid position to get back to their winning ways. Keeping Rivers makes that hope all the more confusing.
The Bucks keeping Rivers would be quite the shock
Rivers' flaws were all over Milwaukee's last playoff run. Yes, Damian Lillard's Achilles injury didn't help, but even with the guard out, it took until the Bucks were facing elimination for the coach to deploy his best lineup and bench the weak links. Had the adjustments taken place sooner, there's no telling just how far this Milwaukee Bucks team could have gone, especially with the rest of the East banged up.
Unless he and general manager Jon Horst completely commit to the new style of play the team found most of their success with late in the season and Giannis commits, bringing Rivers back would be puzzling. The rosters he has had to coach haven't been perfect, but Rivers certainly isn't blameless here, especially when fans and analysts alike have been highlighting the lineup flaws for months.
The Milwaukee Bucks will do what it takes to keep Giannis Antetokounmpo happy. Despite his flaws as a coach, it's clear that Rivers has the respect of Antetokounmpo. Keeping Rivers alone won't keep Giannis in town, as the team has some serious roster renovations to make over the next few months, but it could seemingly play a role.
If Milwaukee Bucks fans thought past offseasons were full of rumors and tiring discussions, they may not be ready for what's to come. Every little move they make will be put under a microscope as the franchise is under immense pressure. Every single team in the league is waiting to see what Giannis wants to do.
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