MILWAUKEE – As Giannis Antetokounmpo sat at his locker Saturday after the Milwaukee Bucks' 141-117 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, he held his left hand under his chin and thought for a few seconds about the question about how his new head coach would answer.
This was the first time he had spoken publicly about Doc Rivers, and he took the task seriously.
That seriousness is the same with which Rivers told reporters he would live up to the expectations that come with being head coach of the Antetokounmpo-led Bucks.
“I've learned that it's better to have them than not,” Rivers said of the expectations. “When I took the job in Boston (in 2004), I got a lot of calls from coaches telling me not to take the job. “The expectations will be too unrealistic.” I think, what? That's ridiculous. You want this. They want expectations. And this team has them.”
For anyone who has doubted the high expectations so far: General Manager Jon Horst's decisions since the Bucks' loss to the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs last season have shown that it's not enough in Milwaukee to win games. The Bucks are trying to win another championship.
That's why the Bucks fired Mike Budenholzer, the NBA's winningest regular-season coach and 2021 NBA champion, after last season's first-round upset. Because of this, the team traded for All-Star point guard Damian Lillard in late September. That's why the Bucks fired Adrian Griffin earlier this week after he helped lead the Bucks to a 30-13 record in his first 43 games as an NBA head coach. And that's why the questions after the Bucks' win over the Pelicans on Saturday night weren't focused as much on the win – their seventh in nine games – on Saturday night.
Instead, the questions for Antetokounmpo and Lillard focused on their thoughts on their new coach and how Rivers could help lead the Bucks to a championship.
After a few seconds of thought, Antetokounmpo finally answered about his new coach's desire to live up to the expectations that come with coaching this star-studded team with sky-high expectations.
“That speaks volumes,” Antetokounmpo said after posting 30 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the Bucks’ dominant win. “You could see what it was made of. He Is hard. It’s hard to take this job.”
“You lose, it feels like the whole world is ending. You win with five, why didn't you win with 20? You have Giannis, you have Dame, you have Khris (Middleton). It is difficult. Nothing is good enough. Only one championship is good enough. We've gotten to this point, which is crazy. But I accept it. I agree. I can sleep well at night. And I think there is someone who is not uncomfortable with it, but is confident about it. I think having someone like that improves the atmosphere in the locker room.”
For Antetokounmpo, confidence in Rivers comes in part from his extensive resume — the 24 years Rivers spent on the NBA sidelines.
“We know he played tough games,” Antetokounmpo continued. “We know he played in two NBA Finals. He's been there before. We were there once. We want to go there again. And sometimes it helps to have people with experience by your side.
“When things are difficult, when you're faced with challenges, when things aren't going your way, you can have someone who can say, 'Hey, I've been here before.' That's what we're going to do. This is how we will attack it. So we have to stay together. Don't worry about the expectation. We have to do this as a team.” Someone who can give you the guide and the track. It's always great to have him in your dressing room. So I'm happy that he understands that we're trying to win a championship. I think everyone in this locker room understands that.”
And although Antetokounmpo has told the story before, he reminded reporters Saturday night that the first NBA game he remembers was a 2008 NBA Finals game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. That Celtics team, of course, was coached by Rivers and would win the NBA title that season.
“Fast forward, 16, 17 years later, he’s in the same locker room and I have to do what I can to help this team and I have to follow his lead,” Antetokounmpo said. “So, I'm excited. He is a legend in this league. He has done great things in this league and I hope we can achieve great things together.”
Like Antetokounmpo, Lillard cited Rivers' last four decades in the game as one of the main reasons to rely on her new head coach.
“We all know what he brings,” Lillard said. “We heard his voice coaching other teams. We know he was successful. He played in this league. He went to school in this city. He has been there as a coach for a long time. He has coached many great players. It's hard to think of anything he hasn't experienced in this league, from playing to coaching to talking about the game on all of these different broadcasts.
“So it's nothing he hasn't experienced. And I just think his voice on how to motivate teams is a strong voice. And he will demand more from our team. He won't be afraid to challenge myself. He won't be afraid to challenge Giannis. He won't be afraid to challenge Brook (Lopez) and Khris. And across the board. So I think when you're dealing with a team that's full of veterans and as talented as we are, I think that's something that you need if you want to get to the level that we want to get to. And I think he’s the perfect person to do it.”
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As we reported in our initial story about Griffin's firing, a key part of Rivers' work in Milwaukee will be helping Lillard become more comfortable in Milwaukee. Lillard will be a starter in the 2024 NBA All-Star Game and has put up big numbers this season (25.3 points and 6.8 assists per game), but is more than halfway through their first season together Antetokounmpo no longer fit went smoothly. Antetokounmpo has NBA MVP numbers again this season (31 points, 11.7 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game). And yet the Bucks just didn't seem to work together this season.
When Lillard explored the idea after Saturday's game, he concluded that the Bucks' current situation is actually similar to the situation Rivers faced in Boston when the Celtics hired former NBA MVP Kevin Garnett and seven-time All brought in star Ray Allen to team with Paul Pierce, who had established himself as a star in Boston despite never reaching an NBA Finals.
“I think his greatest success as a coach came in a situation where there were extreme expectations in Boston,” Lillard said. “You get Kevin Garnett, who was the MVP in Minnesota. There's Paul Pierce, who was one of the best players in the league for a long time. In comes Ray Allen. They have (Rajon) Rondo, one of the best point guards in the league. And then you throw Doc in there and have some expectations.
“They expected them to win. They were in a market of this kind that really cares about people in the city, similar to this one. They want to win. They demand it. And I think because of his experience – not just the high points but the low points – of being criticized and attacking people for not being successful, he felt it. And I think every time you experience that on both sides, you know how rewarding it can be when you come out victorious. And I think when he looks at our team, he feels like we have a chance to do that. So you want someone who has that kind of experience to lead your team in a situation like that.”
For Lillard, Rivers' experience with the championship team in Boston, as well as his experience handling situations with multiple star players in Milwaukee, will be helpful if he ever has to have difficult or stressful conversations with the Bucks' star players in Milwaukee.
While both players, like Rivers, expressed their trust and belief in their new coach, they didn't shy away from how much work the Bucks still have to do to become a championship contender this season, and how little time All they have left for so far is the playoffs begin.
“I don't assume or expect that the minute he comes in we're going to be 5-0 or 10-0 or whatever, like it takes time,” Antetokounmpo said. “Are we going to change our offense? Will our offense stay the same? Will we change our terminology? Will we change our adjustments defensively? Will we change our training schedule? What will the practice look like? What will the shootaround look like? All these things.
“Different coach, different routines for everyone, so it will take some time. But I think the most important thing he emphasized is coming together as a team. The more we are together as a team, the faster we can get where we want to go.”
On Sunday, the Bucks embark on a five-game road trip, taking on five talented Western Conference teams in nine days – the Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns. After interim coach Joe Prunty led the Bucks to a 2-1 record by firing a coach and hiring a new one this week, Rivers will coach his first game against the Nuggets on Monday.
Let the work begin.
(Photo of Jon Horst and Doc Rivers: Larry Radloff / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)