It has only been one press conference, one game, and one losing result, but the Milwaukee Bucks are certainly starting to feel the pressure of having to win, and win now.
After deciding 43 games into their season that head coach, Adrian Griffin was just not the guy they envisioned going forward, the Milwaukee Bucks made quite the statement with the hiring of former NBA champ, Doc Rivers.
Along with a new coach, the expectations somehow, someway also grew to new heights for a team that was already at a championship or bust level.
There is, no question, a do or die label attached to this team that currently has two of the league’s top 75 players of all-time in its starting lineup, and, let’s be honest, that is a fair label to attach to them.
Say what you want about Doc, but adding a coach of his status only increases the sky-high expectations for this team. It does not matter when or how he got to the position he is currently in, it doesn’t matter if “no coach has ever done this,” no one, and I mean no one is going to show any sympathy or care. Come May, come June, if they Bucks aren’t playing meaningful games, it’ll all be considered a failure, and, again, rightfully so.
Whatever offensive, and defensive issues this team had when Griff was running the team have to figure themselves out going forward, and the pressure will all be on Doc to help facilitate that.
He’s done it before, and he’s won a championship.
Like Coach Rivers said at his introductory press conference, it is an unfair hand to be dealt, but at the same time, it’s one he volunteered to do, and it’s on him, Giannis, and Dame to figure it out or believe me, it’s going to get ugly in Milwaukee.