The Milwaukee Bucks fired Mike Budenholzer this summer following two consecutive disappointing seasons. You have to note, though, that this man is just two years removed from leading this same team to an NBA title.
The new man at the helm is first-year head coach Adrian Griffin, and there’s no denying that there’s going to be a lot of pressure on this man to perform this season. Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t getting any younger so the Bucks must compete for a championship every single year.
Bobby Portis to New Coach Adrian Griffin: ‘Let Us Be Us’
Bucks veteran Bobby Portis, who himself was an integral part of Milwaukee’s 2021 title run, has a bit of advice for Coach Griffin. When asked about his expectations for his new coach, Portis got brutally honest in his response:
“I don’t like to compare the past and the future, but I just hope he lets us be us, and be the player-driven team. We have a lot of guys on our team that’s done this before, so we kind of know what it takes to get to that next level,” Portis said, via Sam Yip of HoopsHype.
Depending on how you look at this, Portis’ statement here could be the 28-year-old’s way of telling Griffin to just let them do their thing. As he said, this group knows what it takes to win a championship, so I guess Portis might not be a very big fan of any major change Griffin may want to implement in his new regime.
Bobby Portis Speaks on Milwaukee Bucks’ Past Injury Woes
Injuries played a significant role for the Bucks, particularly last season, which is why you also have to feel bad for Budenholzer. Nevertheless, the front office have made their decision, and it’s now up to Griffin to bring this team back to glory.
Portis knows, however, that health will be one of the most important factors for Milwaukee this term as they look to get back to the NBA Finals:
“Our biggest thing on the Bucks is just staying healthy,” Portis said. “No matter who it is that’s coaching whatever it is, we got to be healthy man. The last couple of years we kind of had bad luck. Khris getting hurt, Giannis getting hurt, hate to dwell in the past, but injuries are real. It’s a real thing in our sport, and we got to stay healthy. That’s the biggest thing for our team.”
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