of milwaukee bucks Head coach Adrian Griffin was fired midway through his first season. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Bucks are 30-13 overall at the time of the move and currently hold the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Milwaukee plans to pursue Doc Rivers as its next head coach. According to NBA insider Shams Charania:. Assistant coach Joe Planty will serve as interim head coach until the team names a replacement. The Bucks are targeting a “small pool of experienced, ready-to-work veteran head coaches.” According to Woj.
Griffin reportedly “lost” the team, including the support of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
There have been constant rumors in NBA circles in recent weeks that several Bucks veterans, including Giannis, have lost faith in Griffin. What seemed like a smart hire last spring ended up falling through.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) January 23, 2024
Milwaukee looks to be doing well, but it was clear from the start of the season that this team didn't look like the power it could have been after trading for Damian Lillard. Milwaukee's defense was disappointing and was ranked 21st overall at the time of Griffin's firing, but Griffin bounced back and forth between strategies and players all season to find a solution. The Bucks' defense has struggled at the point of attack, where former star Jrue Holiday thrived, as they try to integrate a much weaker defender in Lillard.
The Bucks had won five of their past six games at the time of his firing.
Griffin replaced top-seeded Mike Budenholzer, who was fired after the Bucks lost in the first round of the playoffs last season. Budenholzer led his team to the 2021 NBA Championship, but his playoff decisions were often highly questionable. Hiring a longtime assistant like Griffin to be the head coach of a team aiming to win or lose was a bold move, but one that didn't work despite a winning record.
Griffin's tenure got off to a strange start with assistant Terry Stotts (former head coach). portland trail blazers Along with Lillard – left the team before the season started amid turmoil with Griffin. Milwaukee started the season 5-4, but eventually found a way to win, even if it wasn't always convincing.
Read Brew Hoops about the problems Griffin's Bucks had in the first half of the year. Milwaukee was barely hanging on defensively, despite having good luck with 3-point shooting against key opponents. The team committed too many fouls and didn't rebound enough. Milwaukee also ranks last in the league in forcing turnovers.
Rivers was fired. philadelphia 76ers After being eliminated in the second round of the playoffs last season. He currently works as an analyst for ESPN and various other media outlets.
We will update this story as it develops.
