Doc Rivers Under Fire as Milwaukee Bucks Struggle with 1-4 Start

The Milwaukee Bucks are off to a dismal start in the 2024-25 NBA season, and head coach Doc Rivers is facing intense scrutiny. Following a 122-99 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday, the Bucks dropped to 1-4, with all four losses being by double digits.

In the latest defeat, Ja Morant of the Grizzlies dominated with a 26-point, 14-assist, 10-rebound triple-double. Despite Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s strong performance with 37 points and 11 rebounds, the rest of the Bucks struggled, particularly Damian Lillard, who scored just four points on 1-of-12 shooting. The team’s defensive woes were highlighted by a 40-point first quarter by the Grizzlies and a significant rebounding discrepancy (62-46 in favor of Memphis).

Doc Rivers has taken full responsibility for the team’s poor start. “The defensive transition was still awful tonight and so that’s on me. Everything is on me until we get it right. We gotta fix this,” he said in a post-game press conference. Rivers acknowledged the team’s defensive shortcomings, including their inability to handle transition defense and their overcommitting to steals, which left the paint unattended.

Fans and analysts are increasingly critical of Rivers’ coaching, with many questioning the decision to hire him after the team fired Adrian Griffin, who had a 30-13 start last season. Rivers’ record since taking over is 20-27, including playoffs, which has sparked widespread dissatisfaction among fans.

The Bucks face a challenging upcoming schedule, including a home-and-home series against the undefeated Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday and Monday. With significant issues on both offense and defense, the team needs to find a way to turn their season around quickly to salvage their championship hopes).