Giannis Antetokounmpo on continuous Bucks coaching changes: ‘It’s draining’
While the Milwaukee Bucks are still the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference entering the All-Star break, it’s been an exhausting 2023-24 campaign for everyone in the Bucks organization–especially for superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Even after the Bucks started 30-13, they fired first-year head coach Adrian Griffin and replaced him with long-time head coach Doc Rivers, who was let go by the Philadelphia 76ers in the offseason. Antetokounmpo, who’s had four different coaches in six months (including one interim), detailed how taxing all the transitions have been on Saturday during the All-Star media availability.
“It’s hard. It’s hard. This is my fourth coach in the span of six months,” Antetokounmpo said, according to Rob Peterson of The Athletic. “Coach (Mike Budenholzer), coach (Adrian Griffin), (interim) coach Joe (Prunty) and Doc. Different philosophy, different gameplan. It’s hard. It’s draining.
“I’m a student of the game. When somebody asks me to do something, I try to do it to the best of my ability. I try to understand what we’re trying to accomplish, both so I can understand and so I can be there for my teammates when they ask questions.”
The Bucks entered the All-Star break 3-7 with Rivers at the helm. Over that span, they sport the NBA’s 21st-best offense and 10th-best defense. The latter was a considerable improvement over what it previously was with Griffin’s hyper-aggressive defensive scheme, which ranked in the bottom-third at the time of Griffin’s dismissal, even though there’s been a drop-off offensively.
Milwaukee’s played six of their 10 games on the road, including a five-game West Coast road trip where it went 1-4. Its only wins since Rivers’ arrival have come against the Dallas Mavericks, Charlotte Hornets and the reigning champion Denver Nuggets.
While the All-Star break should give Rivers more time to acclimate himself to the roster and newfangled coaching staff, the trek doesn’t become much easier for Milwaukee.
They have the third-hardest remaining strength of schedule, according to Tankathon. They will also play eight of their first 10 and 10 of their first 14 away from home. If this veteran-laden squad can rally together, perhaps they can maintain their top-3 seed.
Antetokounmpo remains optimistic about Rivers’ arrival, even if this most recent stretch has had many notable bumps in the road.
“I love working with Coach Doc. He’s been very, very successful,” he said. “He’s won, I think, 1,100 NBA games. Some people have never played 1,100 games. He brings that level of—how can I say—a championship level to the team. He won. He’s coached a lot of successful teams in the past. When you have that guy in your bench, you have to bring your A game.“
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