Many people around the NBA were surprised when the Milwaukee Bucks fired rookie head coach Adrian Griffin on Tuesday.
While the Bucks have had defensive problems so far this season, they also have a 30-13 record and hold second place in the Eastern Conference.
Speculation instantly began on why the Bucks dismissed Griffin, and GM Jon Horst, per Jamal Collier, said the team wanted to “maximize” its potential championship window.
Bucks GM Jon Horst speaking to the media before tonight’s game vs CLE. He says he won’t talk about Doc Rivers tonight (deal still not official), but he says he moved on from Adrian Griffin to maximize this team’s potential championship window
— Jamal Collier (@JamalCollier) January 24, 2024
Just three seasons ago, Milwaukee won the NBA championship, but after two subsequent early playoff exits, they fired Mike Budenholzer as their head coach last May.
Griffin was his replacement despite not having any head coaching experience, although he had been a longtime assistant, most notably for the 2019 world champion Toronto Raptors.
Some wondered, first of all, why the Bucks would fire a title-winning coach in Budenholzer after Giannis Antetokounmpo missed part of their first-round playoff series to the Miami Heat, which they lost, and then hire a neophyte to replace him.
They have reportedly secured the services of Doc Rivers, who has spent most of the last two decades as a head coach for numerous teams, to succeed Griffin.
With future Hall of Famer Damian Lillard on board, the Bucks have reloaded this season, but their efforts to integrate him into the core that won them the 2021 title have produced mixed results, especially since they rank 21st in defensive rating.
Still, they have to be considered a very serious threat to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy this summer.
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Bucks GM Issues Statement About Adrian Griffin
