Doc Rivers was officially introduced as the new head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, and he later spoke at a press conference.
The Milwaukee Bucks didn’t start the season according to expectations, leading to the dismissal of Adrian Griffin. A new coach was quickly appointed, with Doc Rivers taking over the reins. The experienced coach immediately highlighted the main reason for his arrival.
“You know the answer. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, that’s the answer. Look at their team. There are, what, eight teams that have a legitimate chance to win the title? I don’t know what level they’re at, but the Bucks are one of them, right? The other thing is that they built their team with veterans and their players that they improved.
I told myself that if I joined a group at this stage of the season, it would be with this type of squad that I would have the best opportunity to integrate and make things evolve quickly.”
There isn’t much time for adaptation, and Doc Rivers is well aware of that.
“It’s a real challenge that will present itself. We must organize quickly. You shouldn’t try to do too much too soon. We are in the middle of a season, so we have to try to keep our rhythm. There are changes to be made, there is no doubt about it. We will start working on this immediately.
I don’t know if I have anything to prove other than I want to win. I like to win. I like being in these situations. I have known everything, really experienced everything as a coach. That’s what’s great about this job. There are a lot of ups and downs, and you’re always working and learning from those experiences. Ultimately, this is a league built on relationships. As a coach, your job is to get certain players to do things they don’t want to do.
You’re not going to be popular all the time and that’s okay, you have to accept that when you take on a leadership role, it’s part of the process. If you can get everyone on the same page, then you can be successful.”
The Milwaukee Bucks are currently in second place in the NBA Eastern Conference with 32 wins and 14 losses.