In his 26-season NBA career, Doc Rivers has coached over 35 All-Star players. The Milwaukee Bucks needed that experience after landing star point guard Damian Lillard. So they brought Rivers in to set up a game plan around Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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However, a year into his stint, Milwaukee’s superstars seem to be frustrated with Doc’s coaching style. It was particularly evident on Saturday night when the Bucks found themselves trailing against the shorthanded Dallas Mavericks. Frustrated by Rivers’ lack of versatility or fine adjustments, Antetokounmpo took the clipboard to draw up some plays for his team.
What was even more damning for Rivers was that the Bucks took the lead after the Greek Freak’s intervention. The Cream City faithful didn’t miss that pivotal moment, with more than a few believing it might spell trouble for Rivers’ tenure in Milwaukee.
“Doc getting fired,” one Bucks fan wrote under a video of Antetokounmpo taking up the coach’s clipboard.
Their frustration is understandable, as the decision to hire Rivers had prompted exasperated sighs from the fanbase. In fact, when the Bucks announced that the former Philadelphia 76ers HC would take up the role of head coach in January last year, a rival NBA executive told CBS Sports: “The other Eastern Conference contenders breathe easier.”
It’s usually not a good sign when the team’s biggest rivals view the newly hired head coach — who is earning $40 million through 2027 — as a blessing. Though Rivers isn’t the only coach the Bucks fanbase has issues with.
“This entire season has been an absolute masterclass of two of the most inept coaches in the league and it’s hilarious to watch,” another fan commented online. He was referring to Milwaukee’s assistant coach Darvin Ham, who has also quickly built a reputation as a passive, player-first coach.
Despite the frustrations of fans and reportedly some of the Milwaukee players, the Bucks ownership has shown tremendous belief in Rivers and Ham. Fans feel like they are trapped with two of the league’s most ineffective coaches due to the big contracts going their way.
The whole Milwaukee fan base is. I’d want him fired if we weren’t already paying 3 head coaches 🤦♂️
— VegasCheesehead (@Shady_Justin) March 2, 2025
Given that Milwaukee is a small market franchise, it’s unlikely that the owners will be open to incurring the cost of firing either coach. After all, even if they let go of them, at least part of their contract will have to be honored by the team.
However, it is still a worthwhile consideration, especially if the team’s leading duo is getting increasingly frustrated with Rivers and his staff. The precedent for such a costly dismissal was set by one of their Eastern Conference competitors last season.
Despite signing Monty Williams to a six-year, $78.5 million contract in 2023, the Detroit Pistons ownership wisely parted ways with the coach after his first season in Motor City. The team ended with the worst record in the league that season.
Though they are still paying out that contract, their decision to move on from Williams and hire J.B. Bickerstaff is already paying dividends on the hardwood. It might be wise for the Bucks to consider such a move.
Of course, it will still add to the volatility the team has faced since moving on from Mike Budenholzer in May 2023. Rivers is their third head coach in two years after he took over from Adrian Griffin halfway through the 2023-24 campaign.
The franchise now finds itself in a situation where it might be mortgaging its long-term future with the Greek Freak by displaying loyalty to Rivers. And as any Bucks fan would argue, the $40 million Doc is owed over the next two seasons is simply not worth the risk of losing Antetokounmpo.
