The sustained mediocrity of the Milwaukee Bucks has raised question marks around them. Their latest defeats to the Washington Wizards and the Memphis Grizzlies led the viewers second-guessing the franchise’s decision. Amidst the misery, Gilbert Arenas recently reflected on their actions. He candidly described what he would do differently, including recruiting Doc Rivers as the head coach.
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In the latest episode of Gil’s Arena, the 42-year-old initially showcased his distaste for the Bucks’ decision to trade Jrue Holiday. Despite acknowledging their intention of strengthening the offense through this move, Arenas showcased his skepticism. However, he soon admitted to being open to the decision, only if the Bucks had prepared themselves for the consequences.
Following this, Arenas addressed his biggest concern about the franchise. The 3x All-Star questioned their choice to hire Rivers as a mid-season replacement for Adrian Griffin. On top of it, the Florida-born even expressed his doubts over the justification behind the latter’s departure from the team.
“I would’ve never hired Doc [Rivers]. That’s me, personally…The fact that we are 30-13, how are we justifying this? Because he [Adrian Griffin] is holding y’all accountable? He is making y’all do things that y’all don’t wanna do? But it’s winning. It’s leading to a success,” Arenas mentioned.
He elaborated on his stance, highlighting the infamous controversial dynamic between Michael Jordan and Jerry Krause. Arenas explained how MJ often used to disagree with the decisions of the then-Chicago Bulls General Manager. However, the 6x champion often refused to question the latter’s choices, something that led to him winning two three-peats.
His words further emphasized the significance of professionalism over personal interest. Griffin laid a foundation from the pre-season that Rivers has failed to build on since late January. Their ongoing run of 15-15 under the coaching of the 62-year-old showcases precisely that, adding volume to Arenas’ beliefs.
Although, the opinion of Gilbert Arenas may have contained a pinch of bias
Arenas has always been skeptical of the Bucks’ decision to name Rivers as their head coach. Hence, the recent slump has led to him doubling down on his viewpoint while openly criticizing the 2008 championship-winning coach. A recent episode of Gil’s Arena captured one such instance as Agent Zero mocked the Chicago-born.
After pretending to be asleep on the sets, Arenas snapped out of his act to mock Rivers. “I was Doc Rivers, baby. I was sleeping on the job. [Rivers is] just collecting his check, because ain’t no damn way he’s coaching, I can tell you that for sure,” he declared.
Thus, his recent statement served as an extension of his stance against the veteran head coach. At the moment, the seeming bias remains justified as the franchise continues to repeat its pattern of errors. With frustration over the scenario growing and the post-season knocking on the door, the Bucks must find solutions as soon as possible.
