Everyone in the Milwaukee Bucks organization knows that the coming 2024-25 campaign will not be a walk in the park.
While they still have two of the league’s best players—Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard both made bold claims during media day—there are open questions on whether the rest of the supporting cast have what it takes to help the star duo make a deep postseason run.
There is also plenty of pressure on Doc Rivers’ shoulders to build the team into a high-caliber squad that can compete with the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and New York Knicks. Public perception of his stock as a head coach is far from its heyday with the Celtics and Orlando Magic, so this season might define his legacy as a hardwood tactician.
However, the long-time coach didn’t care about any of that and focused on what he could do to help the team win basketball games. Moreover, he addressed the people doubting his abilities and his players.
Doc Rivers makes a bold declaration towards Milwaukee Bucks doubters during team’s media day
Rivers fielded questions during his team’s media day. One of the questions he addressed was the perception that the team is not considered a favorite to make it out of the Eastern Conference. The Bucks’ exclusion from the league’s marquee Christmas games is evidence of this belief.
He discussed that the team sees what is being talked about in the media and that his players are ready to prove everybody wrong, as reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Jim Owczarski:
We all pay attention to it. We see it. We read it. You notice you’re not playing on Christmas. There’s a lot of little things you can use. I don’t think I have to use ‘em. I think it’ll use itself, if you know what I mean. At the end of the day everybody’s 0-0 and that’s how the season starts, right? I’m more focused on us and being the best team that we can be, and at the end of the day that will do all the talking. And that’s the way I look at our team.
He also pointed out that he’s taking extra steps to build chemistry with the current roster and have them perform at the best levels possible on the first game of the season, per Last Word On Sports’ Grigorios Tatsis:
“I think it’s important that they’ll be riding in the car together to and from practice, going to dinners, spending time. I wish it was longer, honestly.”
Opinions in and around the NBA can quickly change at the drop of the hat. If Doc Rivers and the Milwaukee Bucks start the season strong, people will rant about the Bucks’ absence in the league’s Christmas games by early December.
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