Tag: Doc Rivers

Will Doc Rivers or Terry Rozier change the balance of power in the NBA’s Eastern Conference?

Will either of these moves help the Bucks or Heat beat Boston?

The Boston Celtics have a commanding lead over the rest of the NBA’s Eastern Conference at more than halfway through the league’s 2023-24 season. And their dominance is such that their competitors are starting to look to a number of Celtics alumni to help them sort out their current lack of oomph in the East.

The Miami Heat just traded for former Celtics Terry Rozier, sending Kyle Lowry to purgatory that is the Charlotte Hornets. That went poorly in the early going, but perhaps there might be more there in the postseason. The Milwaukee Bucks just hired head coach Doc Rivers to replace another Boston alum (as a player), outgoing Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin.

Will either of these moves help the Bucks or Heat beat Boston? The hosts of the CLNS Media “How Bout Talkin’ Them Celtics!” podcast took a closer look at both on a recent episode.

Check out the clip above to hear what they had to say.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Are the Milwaukee Bucks better for hiring former Boston head coach Doc Rivers?

Is Doc actually going to be the right guy for Milwaukee?

The Milwaukee Bucks shocked the wider NBA by firing their first-year head coach Adrian Griffin despite trailing only the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference standings last week. A lack of faith in Griffin’s vision for Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dam Lillard, and the Bucks spurred the move per multiple reports, leaving a ball club with designs on contending without a coach at the helm.

Then, Milwaukee surprised us all again by hiring former Boston head coach Doc Rivers to replace Griffin, leading to inevitable speculation as to whether the coach behind the Celtics’ 2008 title is actually going to be the right guy for Milwaukee.

The hosts of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast took some time to talk over the hire, and if Rivers will make a different for the Bucks this season.

Check it out above!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Doc Rivers could unexpectedly coach in the NBA All-Star Game due to this bizarre rule

Doc Rivers has more experience coaching All-Star Games than he does with the Bucks.

Despite getting hired midway through the season, Doc Rivers could end up coaching the 2024 NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis.

Unlike the All-Star roster, the coaches are not voted into the NBA All-Star Game but rather given as an honor to the teams with the best record in each conference. These are typically based on the standings two weeks before the actual event.

As of right now, the Minnesota Timberwolves (Chris Finch) and the Boston Celtics (Joe Mazzulla) have the best record in their respective conferences.

Due to the Riley Rule, however, Mazzulla is ineligible to coach the Eastern Conference this season. This rule was created after Pat Riley coached the Western Conference in the All-Star Game each year except one between 1982 and 1990.

Instead, the nod is given to the team with the next-best record at the cutoff date on Feb. 4. That means if the standings hold, after replacing former Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin, (somehow) Rivers would get the nod.

Rivers, who coached the All-Star game in 2008 and 2011 and again in 2021, has coached just one game for Milwaukee so far this season and it was a loss against the Denver Nuggets. At this point, he has more experience coaching in NBA All-Star Games than he does coaching the Bucks.

But it is far from a guarantee that Rivers gets the honor because the standings could change after the next few days. Milwaukee is on the road for three games (Trail Blazers, Mavericks, Jazz) between now and the cutoff date. If they do not play well, something especially bizarre could happen.

Philadelphia’s Nick Nurse, who replaced Rivers as head coach of the 76ers this past offseason and coached the NBA All-Star Game in 2020, could get the call instead.

The Sixers still have two road games (Warriors, Jazz) and one home game (Nets) before the Feb. 4 deadline. Philly is currently two games behind Milwaukee in the standings and could catch the Bucks.

Two other Eastern Conference All-Star Game head coaching candidates include New York’s Tom Thibodeau (for the first time since 2012) and Cleveland’s J.B. Bickerstaff (as a first-time honor).

The Knicks will host three home games (Jazz, Pacers, Lakers) while the Cavaliers have a home game (Pistons) and two road games (Grizzlies, Spurs) remaining.

In the West, meanwhile, either Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault or L.A. Clippers head coach Ty Lue could potentially surpass Minnesota’s Finch.

Curiously enough, Lue coached in the 2016 NBA All-Star Game under similar circumstances in which Rivers could get asked this season. He took over after Cleveland fired David Blatt even though the Cavaliers (30-11) had the best record in the East.

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The Bucks owe around $18 million to three head coaches this season, which is historically high

This is quite a financial hit for the Bucks.

The Milwaukee Bucks have moved on multiple head coaches since last season and now they will have three on their payroll at the same time.

Milwaukee parted ways with both Mike Budenholzer and his successor, Adrian Griffin, after just 43 games. The Bucks will replace Griffin with Doc Rivers, who served as an informal consultant to his predecessor.

Regardless of whether or not Rivers was the right choice to lead Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, this aggressive decision to change head coaches yet again won’t come cheap for Milwaukee’s ownership group.

According to Shams Charania, the Bucks will pay Rivers $40 million through 2026-27. That is already fairly expensive but it is even more expensive when factoring in what they already owe to other head coaches.

At the time Griffin was hired, Charania reported that the coach signed a multi-year contract worth approximately $4 million per season. Budenholzer, reportedly had two years and $16 million remaining on his contract when he was fired.

Combine what is owed to the three coaches and you have nearly $18 million owed in salary to three different head coaches in Milwaukee this season. That is more than what the Spurs pay Gregg Popovich (who is the head coach and also the president of basketball operations for the Spurs) and what the Heat pay Erik Spoelstra.

It is also a massive financial burden when considering that the Bucks already have the most expensive roster in the Eastern Conference.

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Does Doc Rivers and Terry Rozier moving teams affect the Celtics?

How much does Doc Rivers moving to the Milwaukee Bucks and Terry Rozier moving to the Miami Heat affect the Boston Celtics?

Doc Rivers is the new head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. The Miami Heat has acquired Terry Rozier. Both are former members of the Boston Celtics and now are with rival teams. It’s fitting that both players moved to rival teams during rivals week. However, with Milwaukee and Miami both looking to contend this season, the potential dynamic shift in the Eastern Conference is interesting.

In a recent episode of the “Green With Envy” podcast, hosts Adam Taylor and Will Weir discussed both moves. They examined whether Rivers can improve the Bucks’ struggling defense and get more production out of Damian Lillard. And whether Rozier can help improve a Heat offense that has stuttered to begin the season.

Neither move is likely to impact the balance of power in the Eastern Conference significantly, but it does give both teams a boost, and that could impact the way the seeding shakes out at the end of the season.

You can watch the full episode by clicking on the embedded link above.

Listen to the “Green With Envy” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3DoLhYK

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Oj4dhD

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3K8MbvY

Mike Breen playfully roasted Doc Rivers after leaving ESPN for Bucks coaching job

Mike Breen gave Doc Rivers a very funny farewell from ESPN.

After the Milwaukee Bucks hired Doc Rivers as their new head coach this week, ESPN’s Mike Breen paid a hysterical tribute to his former co-worker.

Rivers wasn’t with ESPN very long before heading back to the NBA as a head coach, and Breen noted the irony as he joked about Rivers making such a swift career transition.

The best line had to be Breen thanking Rivers for his “many weeks of service” with the network, which is pretty accurate since Rivers really wasn’t with ESPN very long at all.

May we all have a co-worker like Breen to send us off like this if we leave for another job one day.

However, it was clear after Breen’s kidding around how much he and fellow ESPN broadcaster Doris Burke respect Rivers and enjoyed working with him for the time that they had.

Burke in particular delivered a moving farewell to Rivers as the latter tries to win another NBA title with the Bucks in his coaching return.

While we’re sure ESPN would take Rivers back in a heartbeat if the Milwaukee job doesn’t work out, he at least got a very fitting on-air goodbye from two of his former ESPN colleagues.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

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NBA fans are calling out the Bucks for seemingly courting Doc Rivers behind Adrian Griffin’s back

The Milwaukee Bucks did Adrian Griffin dirty — even if it was time for him to go

Nobody is under any illusions that the NBA — just like every other professional sport — isn’t a cutthroat business.

People are hired and fired on a whim. Players with non-guaranteed contracts are snipped from rosters like loose ends. Folks are traded at a moment’s notice and have their entire lives uprooted. It’s always been that way.

But, man. There’s something about the Doc Rivers situation with the Milwaukee Bucks that just isn’t sitting right with me.

Rivers has officially been hired as the Bucks head coach despite our collective doubt of CNN Sports’ reporting (which is a thing, I guess?).

It’s all kind of unbelievable, but it’s real. Just a day after the Bucks fired Adrian Griffin, here the team is hiring Doc Rivers. The two sides are already reportedly working on putting together his new coaching staff, according to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.

This is all just kind of strange, isn’t it? Things are happening so fast. One day, one coach is in Milwaukee. The next day there’s a new one. You’re probably asking yourself “How in the world is that possible?”

Well, as it turns out, the Bucks have been in contact with Rivers for quite some time. Maybe not in a formal interview process, but Milwaukee has been getting insight on how he’d run the team for at least a month.

According to The Athletic, Rivers was hired by the Bucks as a consultant for Griffin’s staff in December. A month later, he’s hired.

“League sources say Doc Rivers, who is an ESPN analyst after getting fired by the Philadelphia 76ers last May, began to serve as an informal consultant to Griffin at the behest of the Bucks. One month later, multiple sources briefed on the matter now indicate that Rivers is the serious leader for the now-vacant position and the preferred choice of key stakeholders.”

Look, we can’t possibly know that the Bucks brought Rivers on as a consultant ultimately to push Griffin out of the way. But there’s no debating that that’s what it looks like. The optics look terrible here.

Fans called the Bucks out after seeing this.

Sixers’ Tyrese Maxey reacts to Bucks hiring former coach Doc Rivers

Philadelphia 76ers star Tyrese Maxey reacts to the Milwaukee Bucks hiring former coach Doc Rivers.

CAMDEN, N.J. — The Philadelphia 76ers are in the middle of a title race in the Eastern Conference. They are fighting for Eastern Conference supremacy with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics.

The Bucks made a very interesting move on Tuesday when they fired first-year coach Adrian Griffin after 43 games on the job. Milwaukee was 30-13, but, obviously, didn’t feel comfortable with Griffin leading the title charge.

To replace Griffin, the Bucks hired future Hall of Famer Doc Rivers, the former Sixers coach. After spending three seasons in Philadelphia, Rivers was let go in the summer and landed a job as a commentator for ESPN. Now he is the new head man of the Bucks.

“Congrats,” said Tyrese Maxey of the hire for Rivers. “Congrats, Doc. He was here for three years, so for the beginning of my career. I appreciate him for getting my career jump-started and teaching me a lot of different things and being hard on me. It’s really good. I appreciate him for that. So I mean, kudos to them.”

Rivers produced a 154-82 record across three seasons with the Sixers and led them to the No. 1 seed for the 2021 playoffs. It was their first time as a No. 1 seed since the 2000-01 season. Rivers did some great things in Philadelphia regardless of the Eastern Conference semifinal exits.

“That’s Milwaukee,” Maxey added. “That’s them. I mean, I can’t worry about them too much. I gotta worry about what’s going on here, but congrats to Doc. I’m glad he’s back coaching and doing what he loves.”

One might find it humorous that a fellow Eastern Conference contender hired Rivers to be their coach. However, Maxey isn’t worried. He wants to help the Sixers win.

“Humorous?” Maxey retorted. “No, I mean our coach is Nick Nurse now. We played against him in the playoffs two years ago. So it’s just a part of the business. You know what I mean, like I said, congrats to Doc. Kudos to him. Congrats to Milwaukee and that’s them. We’re focused on the Sixers right now.”

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Report: Former Sixers coach Doc Rivers lands new job with Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks have reportedly hired former Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers as their new head coach.

The Milwaukee Bucks made the move on Tuesday to fire coach Adrian Griffin after just 43 games at the helm. The Bucks are 30-13 on the season, but didn’t feel confident in Griffin’s ability to lead Milwaukee to the title it believes it can win this season.

To replace Griffin, the Bucks have brought in former Philadelphia 76ers coach Doc Rivers. In three seasons in Philadelphia, Rivers garnered a 154-82 record and led the Sixers to the No. 1 seed in the 2021 playoffs. Unfortunately for him, Philadelphia was bounced in the conference semifinals in all three seasons, which led to his dismissal.

TNT reported the impending hire on Tuesday, and CNN Sports and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the hire was complete on Wednesday.

On paper, this is a good hire for the Bucks. Rivers did a lot of great things with the Sixers and one has to figure that success will translate to Milwaukee. However, Rivers has obviously had a lot of playoff struggles recently and it will be interesting to see what he does with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo with the Bucks.

Rivers will make his return to Philadelphia with the Bucks on Feb. 25.

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Haynes: Celtics senior consultant Jeff Van Gundy on shortlist for Bucks head coaching gig

The Milwaukee Bucks turmoil in their coaching staff is proving to be a very Boston Celtics-adjacent affair.

The Milwaukee Bucks turmoil in their coaching staff is proving to be a very Boston Celtics-adjacent affair. After news the team was letting go of first-year head coach (and Celtics alum) Adrian Griffin broke, word came around that the Bucks were considering a hire of former Boston head coach and current ESPN broadcaster Doc Rivers to replace him.

Now, another Celtics alumnus — this time current Boston senior consultant Jeff Van Gundy — is also being linked to the open head coaching gig in reporting from Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes. Noting that while Milwaukee is “zeroing in on Doc Rivers to replace Griffin,” the Bucks have “also formulated a short list of candidates that includes Jeff Van Gundy and Nate McMillan.”

“The plan for the Bucks is to act quickly on hiring the next head coach,” added Haynes, so we ought to know soon which (if any) former or current members of the Celtics organization might be helming Milwaukee for the rest of the season.

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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