The Athletic retraces the events which led to the dismissal of Adrian Griffin and the search for a new coach for the Antetokounmpo-Lillard duo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Milwaukee Bucks’ decision was not at all sudden, but rather arose from months of play defined as disappointing, with growing internal concerns about the drastic decline of the defense, the unconvincing use of Damian Lillard alongside the spearhead of the franchise Giannis Antetokounmpo and due to widespread fear that this group was doomed to failure in the playoffs.
Doc Rivers, who had signed a rich deal as an ESPN analyst after being fired by the Philadelphia 76ers, has been a sort of informal consultant for Griffin in the last month, at the specific request of the Bucks.
Now Rivers is the main candidate for the bench, with the parties having already started negotiations. Kenny Atkinson, assistant of the Warriors and already in the sights of the Bucks before the agreement with Griffin, is another candidate for the job in case of black smoke with Rivers,
The problems began early this season for Griffin, the 49-year-old coach coming off 15 seasons as an NBA assistant for five different teams. In mid-October the first negative signal, the resignation of Terry Stotts, apparently due to an argument with Griffin himself
After the Bucks’ disappointing loss to the Pacers in the semifinals of the In Season Tournament in Las Vegas, the team went on a seven-game winning streak at home, but problems resurfaced entering the new year. In January, the Bucks compiled a 6-5 record, with players reportedly starting to question Griffin’s tactics on both ends of the floor and the strategy they were presented with each night.
While players were willing to be patient with Griffin as he learned on the field amid the team’s numerous personnel changes early in the season, their questions became more significant as the team failed to show substantial growth.
Throughout the season, the Bucks struggled on the defensive side of the court after being one of the league’s strongest defensive teams for five straight seasons under Budenholzer. Currently, the Bucks are 22nd in their own half, allowing 116.8 points per 100 possessions.
After the loss to the Rockets, Antetokounmpo spent seven and a half minutes complaining about his Bucks’ defensive problems.
With a record of 30-13, the Bucks are just four games behind the Boston Celtics in second place in the Eastern Conference. But almost three years after winning the title for the first time in half a century and with Antetokounmpo continuing to show his faith in their program by signing a three-year, $186 million extension, Milwaukee has long been set a higher standard.
Winning regular season games is not enough, with a team like this it is necessary to aim for the big target.