Doc Rivers lured to Bucks by shot at championship

MILWAUKEE — When Doc Rivers flew into Dallas this week, he was planning to spend additional time along with his daughter and son-in-law earlier than he was scheduled to broadcast an ESPN sport between the Mavericks and Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night time.

As a substitute, when he checked his telephone Tuesday afternoon, he had what he known as “lots of pressing messages” following the information that the Milwaukee Bucks had fired first-year coach Adrian Griffin.

To that time, Rivers mentioned he was snug along with his time away from teaching after being fired this previous summer season following three seasons as coach for the Philadelphia 76ers. He mentioned he had been contacted a number of instances a couple of coach emptiness within the time since, however he hadn’t taken the decision and would not sooner or later — until it was the correct job.

Enter Milwaukee, the place he was an All-American at Marquette within the Eighties and has his retired jersey quantity hanging within the rafters on the Bucks’ house enviornment. Then contemplate the group he inherits, with two superstars in Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard and an opportunity to win a championship.

“You already know the reply. Giannis, Dame. Actually, that is the reply,” Rivers mentioned at his introductory information convention Saturday morning. “Like, you have a look at their group. What’s it, eight groups which have a reliable shot [at a championship]? And I do not know if it is that top, however the Bucks are considered one of them, proper?

“The opposite factor is the best way they’re constructed with the veterans and their grown-ups. I assumed that if you are going to bounce into this presently of the 12 months, this could be a sort of group that you’ve the most effective alternative to attach and alter the quickest.”

Rivers, 62, was launched at a information convention sitting subsequent to Bucks basic supervisor Jon Horst on Saturday morning, three days after Horst sat on the similar desk to speak about dismissing Griffin solely 43 video games into his first 12 months as coach regardless of a 30-13 file. Whereas Rivers acknowledged he and Griffin have spoken on a number of events — “Adrian and I are good associates, I needed him to do nicely,” Rivers mentioned — each he and Horst denied Rivers had been employed by the group earlier than this week.

The Bucks completed the second half of a back-to-back Saturday night time with a blowout win over the New Orleans Pelicans; Rivers is ready to make his teaching debut on the highway Monday night time in opposition to the Denver Nuggets.

After Saturday’s win, Antetokounmpo spoke about his first impressions of Rivers and the expectations he set.

“You may inform he has nice vitality about him,” Antetokounmpo mentioned. “From the primary assembly that we needed to the second assembly we had he was all what concerning the group, how can we hold one another accountable, how can we contact each other, how can we come collectively as a group, how can we transfer the ball — simply the vitality that he has, he offers you lots of confidence.”

Lillard echoed that sentiment, saying Rivers will not be afraid to problem the group.

“His voice, how he is capable of encourage groups,” Lillard mentioned. “He is a powerful voice. He’ll demand extra from our group. He isn’t going to be afraid to problem myself, he is not going to be afraid to problem Giannis…all the best way down the road.

“I believe whenever you’re coping with a group that is filled with vets and as gifted as we’re, I believe that is one thing that you simply want if you wish to attain the extent that we wish to attain.”

Starting Monday, the Bucks could have 36 video games remaining within the common season earlier than the playoffs start.

“I’ve by no means completed this. I would not want this on anybody, I can let you know that, simply from the day-and-a-half,” Rivers mentioned of taking up a group midseason. “It’ll be a problem. It is a problem that I am working in direction of. We have to get organized shortly. Cannot attempt to do an excessive amount of too quickly. We’re in the course of a season, so we have to attempt to hold our rhythm.

“There are adjustments that we now have to make, there is no doubt about that. We’ll begin engaged on it instantly.”

Antetokounmpo mentioned it will likely be a team-wide effort to get everybody on the identical web page.

“It’ll take time, however a very powerful factor that he emphasised is to return collectively as a group,” Antetokounmpo mentioned. “The extra collectively we’re as a group the quicker we’ll get to the place we wish to get to.”

One huge change Rivers famous from this job in comparison with his earlier stops was the tradition of the group. In Los Angeles and Philadelphia, Rivers mentioned he believed he was employed to alter the tradition of the group as a lot as to educate the video games. However he thought Milwaukee already had a strong basis, it was his job to simply coach.

And this would be the twenty fifth consecutive NBA season during which Rivers will probably be a head coach, beginning earlier than the 1999-2000 season with the Orlando Magic. The Bucks would be the fifth franchise to rent Rivers as head coach.

“I do not know if I’ve something to show besides I wish to win,” Rivers mentioned. “I like successful. I like placing myself in these conditions.

“I have been by means of every little thing, I actually have as a coach. That is what’s so nice about teaching. There’s lots of highs, there’s lows, and you’re employed by means of them and also you be taught from them all the time. On the finish of the day, this can be a relationship enterprise. Your job as a coach is to get a few of the guys to do a few of the issues they do not wish to do.

“You are not going to be well-liked on a regular basis and that is tremendous, it’s important to settle for that whenever you settle for a management position. That is simply a part of it. But when you will get the buy-in and get everyone to purchase in and be on the identical web page, then you possibly can have some success.”