The Philadelphia 76ers have had an entirely different story so far this season, going from one of the worst teams in the league in the previous campaign to one of the biggest wild cards in the championship discussion. The same, however, cannot be said for the Milwaukee Bucks which, after making the playoffs for nine straight years, look poised to snap that streak with their uninspiring play thus far.
While Giannis Antetokounmpo is still with the franchise, recently reiterating that he will never ask for a trade himself, the Bucks have a grim status right now. They are nowhere near a top threat in the East, nor is there a clear way for them to get back to that status. And one of the biggest points of criticism among fans is the fact that Doc Rivers continues to baffle many with his coaching quirks.
Rivers, who manned the sidelines for the 76ers from 2020 to 2023, is technically not on the hot seat just yet, which irks a huge chunk of the Bucks fanbase. People in Milwaukee are already calling for his head, yet he has way too much gravitas that their front office seems content sticking with him despite his red flags, the likes of which remain the same from when he was still in Philly.
Bucks are making a Doc Rivers realization the 76ers know all too well
While Rivers is a championship coach, one can posit that his reputation way exceeds his actual performance as the person calling the shots. His same flaws are still the ones he brandishes in Milwaukee, to the point that it often seems deliberate.
He has coached for more than 25 years, yet he remains someone who underperforms when he has the personnel to make a lot noise. He always fares much better when the odds are stacked against him. Unfortunately, while the Bucks are now underdogs for the most part, that status did not come organically. It is attributable to their own mistakes — some of those stemming from Rivers himself.
Rivers still has the tendency to avoid deferring to his younger players. Even Ryan Rollins, who is having a career year for them, has seen his production wane due to his coach’s penchant toward Kevin Porter Jr., who has a little bit more mileage. The 76ers got a prime snapshot of that irksome propensity when they never got to develop players outside of maybe Tyrese Maxey, who did not fully take off until Nick Nurse replaced Doc.
As many have pointed out, Rivers still does not place as much premium on in-game adjustments compared to other coaches. He very rarely deviates from his pre-game planning. His rotations are among the funkiest among his contemporaries.
Thankfully, the 76ers made the prompt call to axe Doc Rivers when the timing felt right. For now, the Bucks seem committed to him, and unfortunately to their fans, it seems like their front office is not even keen on replacing him.