Ever since Doc Rivers took control of the Milwaukee Bucks, his name has been in the news for both good and bad reasons. Many people instantly wrote him off after the former Celtics coach led the Bucks to a 1-5 start. Although the Bucks have improved now under the new coach to 9-8, a large majority still doubts Rivers. However, Paul Pierce isn’t one of them and is confident that Doc is a good fit for the 2021 champions. During his recent conversation on The Draymond Green Show, Pierce delved into the strength of his ex-coach.
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Pierce was one of the key players who won the NBA Championship under Rivers in 2008. So, he knows about the Bucks coach and what he brings to the table. The NBA veteran said that Rivers is a motivator who coaches each player differently. That is how he builds a relationship with his players. Pierce believes that his move to Milwaukee would be fruitful because he has gone there at the right time, and they have a perfect team for him. Despite his vote of confidence for Rivers, Pierce doesn’t think that this year he will be able to get rid of the championship curse.
Pierce said, “Hopefully he can get them far, but I don’t think they can beat the Celtics in the east…It’s bad timing, but I think he’s got a championship caliber team and I think they’re gonna see the Celtics in the Conference Finals.”
The biggest threat that would stand in the way of the Bucks is going to be the Boston Celtics. Even though the Bucks (41-22) are 2nd in the Eastern Conference only behind the Celtics (48-14), the difference in their performance is staggering. Before losing to the Warriors in their last game, the Bucks were on a 6-game winning streak which improved their record to 41-22.
Despite being 7-3 in the last 10 games, Bucks face strong contention from the Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers in the East.
Doc Rivers’ record as a coach
Rivers has had a successful career so far, despite only winning one championship. According to Statmuse, his current record as a coach is 1105-771. Unfortunately, though, Rivers is best known for blowing leads and game 7 losses. The Bucks coach has an unfortunate record on his resume, he has lost 10 game 7’s in his career as a coach. He also holds a 16-33 record when it comes to leading a series by 3 wins, as per SB Nation. While most people look at it as a failure, Rivers has a different perspective.
During his appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast in June 2023, Rivers defended his name. He said, “Unfortunately, I always look at it both ways, you know. I’ve lost three games with 3-1 leads, right? And I look both ways. Like my coaching got us to those leads, you know, as well as the players.”
That’s surely one way to look at it, but it doesn’t relieve him from the fact that he has lost the most number of game 7’s in his career.
