Doc Rivers did not have an ideal start to his Milwaukee Bucks tenure. In fact, one might even say the fact that the team is currently 7-7 with Rivers at the helm points to the notion that a lot of work still needs to be done before the Bucks get to where they want to be.
Be that as it may, what cannot be denied is that this team is taking the necessary steps in the right direction.
Milwaukee Bucks Vet Bobby Portis Speaks Out on Doc Rivers
The Bucks took care of business on Thursday night with a convincing 111-99 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. That was their fourth win in a row since the All-Star break.
Bobby Portis (14 points on 5-of-11 shooting, 10 rebounds, four assists, three steals) had another impactful performance off the bench as he helped Milwaukee secure a win against the Hornets for the second time in three days. After the game, the first thing on Portis’ agenda was to heap praise on Rivers and how his coaching style has worked wonders for the Bucks of late:
“First off, man, shout out Doc,” Portis said, via Eric Nehm of The Athletic. “Just having a guy that can sit down with everybody and really just tell everybody what he expects from each player, I think that kind of just makes you own your role more, especially when a coach specifically just tells you what he wants from each player.
“So it’s easy to sacrifice in that. And I think you just get more out of it. The ball finds energy. We move the basketball, play free, drive and kick, I think the ball just finds the right man and everybody just lines it up and shoots it. Miss or make, that’s the shot for that possession.”
Even Rivers himself will admit that the Bucks remain a work in progress. However, what is clear is that he’s been able to get through to his players after earning their respect and their trust. This is probably the most important milestone Coach Doc has achieved early on in his tenure, and it goes without saying that this will go a long, long way.
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