Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers. Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Doc Rivers has big admission about Bucks firing Adrian Griffin

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 2/20/24

The Milwaukee Bucks fired first-year head coach Adrian Griffin on Jan. 23. He had led the team for 43 games, winning 30 of them. Milwaukee was second in the Eastern Conference. Shortly after parting ways with Griffin, the Bucks pivoted toward Doc Rivers, who was a free agent following his firing from the Philadelphia 76ers at the end of last season.

Milwaukee's decision to part with Griffin raised a lot of eyebrows. According to Rivers, who was speaking on a recent episode of Sirius XM NBA Radio, he was among those confused by Milwaukee's decision.

"I'll be honest," Rivers said. "I told our owners when they called, 'I'll be honest, I don't understand why you're doing this.' One of the things they said is, 'Well, it doesn't matter. We've done it now, and we want you.' So, that was a tough one. That's where you have the hesitation."

Doc Rivers admits he was a bit confused when Milwaukee called him

“I told [Bucks ownership] ‘I don’t understand why you’re doing this.’”

( @SiriusXMNBA )

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— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 20, 2024

Rivers has lost seven of his first 10 games as Milwaukee's head coach. The team's defensive issues have continued to stand out despite the change in leadership on the sidelines. Rivers recently noted how the job is more difficult than he expected.

The Bucks are under pressure to improve. The addition of Damian Lillard last summer was supposed to elevate them into potential championship contenders. Given their current defensive issues, they look like a second-round exit at best. That's why the Bucks wanted Rivers. He's coached more than 1,800 regular-season games. He has a 51.6% win rate in the playoffs. And he's won a championship before, but that was back in 2008 with the Boston Celtics.

Nevertheless, Rivers' comments regarding his new role with Milwaukee are certainly creating a stir. His blunt honesty indicates a bigger task than many envision when looking from the outside. It's likely the Bucks will need to make additional moves in the offseason. After all, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez are no longer the prime talents they once were.

Yet, when you have Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, excuses don't fly. Rivers has to make Milwaukee competitive and fast. Otherwise, the front office will have some difficult questions to answer in the summer. And Lillard's frustration at not being on a contending team will soon start to re-surface. Things are looking rather precarious for Milwaukee right now. Rivers is right. It's going to be a tough job.

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