Doc Rivers Was A DISASTER In Milwaukee!!

The hosts argue that Doc Rivers' coaching tenure with the Milwaukee Bucks was predestined to fail. They liken taking the job to 'drinking poison,' asserting that the team's prior actions of firing two winning coaches (Budenholzer and Griffin) had established an impossibly high standard, making any coach's success unsustainable.

Gil states, 'They parted ways when he got hired... It's like drinking poison.' He adds, 'They fired a champion coach in 30 and 13. There was nothing you was going to do to not get fired.'

The panel suggests that the frequent coaching changes (Budenholzer, Griffin, and then Rivers) were not solely organizational decisions but were prompted by key players, particularly Giannis. They imply a 'snake' in the locker room influencing management to remove coaches who didn't align with player expectations.

Dr. McCants states, 'I honestly think that it had nothing to do with the organization when Boon Hosa got fired. I feel like that was also a player generated prompted decision.' He later asks, 'How's the locker room lost three different coaches? It can't be the organization. They just get the information. So, somebody's saying something to the organization to get rid of these guys.'

The decision to trade defensive stalwart Drew Holiday for offensive star Damian Lillard is identified as a critical error that fundamentally altered and weakened the Bucks' championship identity. Holiday was seen as the defensive 'anchor' that enabled Giannis and Lopez, and his departure created an irreparable defensive void.

Kane argues, 'I just think Doc was the wrong coach for where Giannis was in his career.' Gil emphasizes, 'Drew was the anchor for that. He's the first line of defense. Giannis and Brooke is the back line. So if you got a guy who can't get past these guys to get back there, you good. Dame is letting them change. It broke down the defense.'

The hosts contend that Adrian Griffin's 30-13 record was unfairly criticized. They argue that while the defense might have appeared worse, the offense improved significantly, resulting in a mathematically better team (a net +3 from the previous year). The media and internal narrative focused disproportionately on defensive perceived decline, leading to his premature firing.

Gil explains, 'The problem with that was is the offense was seven to eight points more. Their defense was down. So, they was actually plus three from last year to this year. So, they were actually a better team.'

Doc Rivers' coaching strategy in Milwaukee is described as creating an illusion of improved defense by simply slowing down the pace of the game. This approach reduced opponent scoring but also stifled the Bucks' high-octane offense, which was built around Giannis's fast-break strengths, leading to a discombobulated team.

Gil states, 'No, they're just they're not scoring anymore. They're slowing the ball down... It's pretend defense.' He adds, 'Now Doc is saying, 'No, no, no. Let's play half court basketball... it don't work because Giannis really used to getting the ball and doing his own thing.'