Adrian Griffin is out, and Doc Rivers is on his way to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Dip into the talking head sports shows and you’ll hear mixed views on the soon-to-be-official hiring. Let me tell you this: For the Bucks, there is no better in-season option on the planet than Rivers.
Forget the fluffy homecoming stuff. Rivers is part of the club of NBA coaches to have won a title…he did it with the Celtics in 2008. In 2022, Rivers was named one of the NBA’s 15 greatest coaches in league history.
The knock on Rivers is that he hasn’t back to the finals since winning a title in 2008 despite leading teams with marquee talent such as the Clippers and 76ers.
Take a closer look and you’ll realize just how dysfunctional those teams were.
All-stars Chris Paul and Blake Griffin couldn’t stand each other in Los Angeles.
Ben Simmons, Joel Embiid, James Harden…dysfunctional with a capital D.
Then there’s Milwaukee. A functional organization with players who genuinely appreciate each other. Milwaukee is a low drama situation complete with a championship roster led by Giannis and Damian Lillard.
For Rivers, the appeal of the opportunity in Milwaukee is clear…same for the Bucks.
There is no person on the planet better suited to take over mid-season than Doc Rivers.
