After being an NBA head coach with plenty of experience, Doc Rivers would seem to have a secure reputation, but that reputation has suffered some erosion in recent years.
His teams have blown a large number of 3-1 and 3-2 series leads in the playoffs, and his newest team, the Milwaukee Bucks, are underachieving.
The Bucks will open the playoffs against a tough opponent in the Indiana Pacers, and former NBA player Eddie Johnson says Rivers will be “judged heavily” on how he coaches in this series, per SiriusXM NBA Radio.
“How does he make changes? How does he attack certain people…[etc]”@JumpShot8 talks with @TermineRadio about the questions that will surround the Bucks’ head coach while Giannis is out of the lineup. pic.twitter.com/iOVn96zbf1
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) April 20, 2024
Milwaukee landed future Hall of Fame guard Damian Lillard last summer, which led many to pick them to reach the NBA Finals, if not win the world championship.
But they have fallen well short of expectations, at least so far, and there don’t seem to be any indications that they’re poised to go very deep in the postseason.
Indiana will present a big challenge for them, and Indiana has the personnel to expose their weaknesses.
The Pacers led the NBA in points, field-goal percentage and assists in the regular season, and they’re also one of basketball’s best fast-breaking teams.
That will be a problem for a Milwaukee team that finished 19th in defensive rating and lacks team speed.
The Pacers beat Milwaukee in four of five regular season games this year, and in those games, Milwaukee gave up a whopping 128.8 points per game.
Then there is the matter of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s strained calf, and it is unknown if and when he’ll be able to return to action.
It seems like the scene is set for Rivers to suffer yet another playoff collapse as a head coach.
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