When Doc Rivers took on the high-profile job as the Milwaukee Bucks head coach, he knew that he had his work cut out for him.
One of the biggest priorities on his agenda has been improving his team’s play on the defensive end. The Bucks are not exactly the most feared defensive units in the league at the moment (perhaps not yet?), but there’s no denying that they have taken significant strides under Rivers’ watch.
Milwaukee Bucks Coach Doc Rivers Gets Real on One Particular Defensive Shortcoming
You have to give credit where it is due. And so far, Coach Doc deserves a lot of praise for pretty much turning this team around defensively. They are still a work in progress, but they are now a much more effective defensive side than they were a couple of months ago.
According to Rivers, however, there’s one particular aspect that he believes his team lacks on defense. He’s had to navigate through this shortcoming by making the most of what’s available:
“We don’t have that card, like, ‘Go shut ’em down,'” Rivers said. “But we have size that can shut you down. You have to play through trees, through long arms. … We’re taking advantage of what we have, not, let’s say, what you may want to do all the time. We have what we have and we have to use it.”
"You have to play through trees, through long arms. … We're taking advantage of what we have."#Bucks coach Doc Rivers sees "tremendous progress" on both sides and highlights how Milwaukee's defense is putting opposing backcourts in traffic with its size. #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/djg13Kd2yW
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) March 4, 2024
As far as I know, the Bucks have a former Defensive Player of the Year in Giannis Antetokounmpo, as well as last season’s DPOY runner-up in Brook Lopez. However, Rivers does not believe they fit the mold of being a shutdown defender and the tenured coach seems more comfortable in utilizing a more team-oriented approach on the defensive end.
It has been working wonders for the team overall, so who are we to question him, right?
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