The Milwaukee Bucks are not off to a good start under new head coach Doc Rivers. In the ten games he coached leading up to the All-Star Break, the Bucks went just 3-7. The decision to hire Rivers came after Milwaukee fired rookie head coach Adrian Griffin. The Bucks were 30-13 at the time. Now they are 35-21.
While the Bucks are generally playing better defense under Rivers, the offense has been spotty at best. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only player, it seems, that goes out and produces night after night. Damian Lillard’s numbers are down drastically this season, but the hope is that his three-point contest win and All-Star Game MVP nod will jumpstart him the rest of the way.
In the days leading up to and during the All-Star Break, Rivers was not shy about how difficult the transition has been in Milwaukee. To be fair, taking over a team with NBA Championship aspirations and changing the culture of the locker room cannot be easy.
However, one of Rivers’ former players, and a former Bucks shooting guard, had strong words of criticism for the Bucks’ new head coach.
JJ Redick Has Strong Words of Criticism for Milwaukee Bucks Head Coach Doc Rivers
JJ Redick spent part of the 2012-13 season with the Bucks after being acquired in a trade with the Orlando Magic. Coming off the bench, as he had for the majority of his career up to that point, Redick averaged 12.3 points while shooting 31% from three.
Following his half season in Milwaukee, Redick signed as a free agent with the Los Angles Clippers, which were coached by Rivers at the time. In four seasons with Rivers in Los Angeles, Redick averaged 15.8 points and shot 44% from three. He also started 265 out of the 266 games that he played.
Now a basketball analyst, Redick used his platform to take some shots at his former head coach:
“The trend is always making excuses… Taking over a team in the middle of a season is hard… it’s always an excuse. It’s always throwing your team under the bus… there’s never accountability with that guy.”
JJ Redick called out Doc Rivers 👀pic.twitter.com/o6778489QY
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 20, 2024
“I’ve seen the trend now. I’ve seen the trend for years! The trend is making excuses. Like, we get it Doc, taking over a team in the middle of a season is hard. It is hard. We all get it, just like being traded in the middle of a season is hard for a player. We get it. But it’s always an excuse. It’s always throwing your team under the bus.
“They lose to Memphis. ‘Oh it’s the players’ fault.’ Memphis was playing G League guys and two-way guys! Then you take a look at his quotes over the weekend and he wants to take credit for the James Harden trade to the Clippers working out. He wants credit for that? There’s never accountability with that guy!”
Strong words indeed. Words that garnered a response from current Bucks guard Patrick Beverley, who played with Redick under Doc in Los Angeles.
Milwaukee Bucks Guard Patrick Beverley Claps Back at JJ Redick
After Redick’s comments about his former coach went viral on social media, Patrick Beverley, took some shots of his own, only these were in defense of Rivers:
This Man Doc actually saved your career. Started you when no one else wanted 2. And u retire go on TV and say that. @jj_redick
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) February 20, 2024
Redick had a response:
Pat my guy I had a four year offer with player option for the same money to be a starter for a different team. FOH “saved my career”. https://t.co/5lXowm2j8e
— JJ Redick (@jj_redick) February 20, 2024
Never one to let someone else have the last word, Beverley responded:
Why didn’t u take it then? U was comfy in your role with team. And don’t just say LA https://t.co/HXeennwGCW
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) February 20, 2024
While there might be some truth to what Redick said, he has no knowledge of what is going on in the Bucks’ locker room right now. To be frank, no one really does. People can guess and make assumptions based on comments players and coaches make to the media, but those do not tell the full story,
Regardless, Rivers and the Bucks have a lot to prove in the second half of the season. There is only one way to silence all the critics: win.
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