MILWAUKEE — While Milwaukee Bucks fans had many questions surrounding theabrupt firing of Adrian Griffin on Tuesday, many shared renewed excitement on Wednesday with news that Doc Rivers would be taking over as head coach.
"I believe Doc Rivers has — you know, he's been around the league," Arvie Vaulx said. "He's a veteran, and he has taken mediocre teams and put them up in the top echelon. He's an outstanding coach in my opinion."
The #Bucks have reportedly hired Doc Rivers as their next head coach and fans couldn’t be more excited 👀
— Ashley Washburn (@ashleyjwashburn) January 24, 2024
Here’s today’s 12pm live hit from the Deer District: pic.twitter.com/2bCFW3DGjE
With a 31-13 record, the Milwaukee Bucks sit three games behind the Boston Celtics (34-10) in Eastern Conference play.
The Bucks' offense is tied for first in the NBA with the Indiana Pacers averaging 124.6 points per game. However, their defense remains on the other end of the spectrum allowing 120.5 points per game (25th).
"I think it's a sweet move," Curtis Wallace said. "I think this could be what they need, getting them above the top. They have all the good players. They just need the right coach."
Vincent Iannelli and his family traveled from New Jersey to Milwaukee for Wednesday night's game against the Cleveland Caveliers to celebrate his 13th birthday.
"I was kind of happy they hired Doc," Vincent Iannelli said. "He's a good coach. He was with Philadelphia for a while. Their defense will hopefully be better now.
Rivers has a long history in Milwaukee where he was an All-American guard for the then-Marquette Warriors (1980-83). His No. 31 jersey was retired in 2004 and hangs in the rafters at Fiserv Forum.
"I'm assuming he'll come to Marquette games as well," Marquette junior James Gorman said. "I think it could even help Marquette players as well, to have some sort of motivation to play in front of a former player and great coach."
While it's unclear when Doc Rivers could make his head coaching debut with the Milwaukee Bucks, the team's next game is Friday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers (26-16) at Fiserv Forum. Tip is set for 7 p.m. CT.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
