25% Done with the regular season: When will the Bucks fire Adrian Griffin? Should they? What do the aliens think?
If you were an alien from outer space and for some strange reason flew into Milwaukee on your UFO and turned on sports talk radio in Milwaukee, you’d have to come to the logical conclusion that the Packers resurgence was the most important sports issue of the day. You’d hear about how much fans used to hate Joe Barry. (We like him again?) A close second would be whether or not the Brewers should trade Corbin Burnes and why Craig Counsel was such a traitor. Your UFO would be expected to aim its laser at the new Cubs manager.
Finally, you’d arrive on the Milwaukee Bucks franchise. The big issue there, from your comfortable UFO with heated leather seats, would be that the Bucks can’t play defense and that they should fire Adrian Griffin.
You’d have no clue the Milwaukee Bucks made the final four of the new NBA in-season tournament. You’d be at a loss to know the Bucks have two players on their roster considered to be “Top 75 All-time NBA players”.
As an alien you’d steal a $3.49 copy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In the sports section you wouldn’t be able to find a single mention of the team. In fact, you’d get some basketball coverage, but it is all about how Devin Harris just graduated.
Do we simply take the Bucks’ success for granted? Is the fanbase for this team “NBA Championship or bust?” Has Aaron Rodgers hung out with aliens before?
Related: Aaron Rodgers Saw a UFO?
Milwaukee Bucks: Falling in with the National Narrative
For the average sports fan it might simply be that the National News Narrative has dominated our perceptions. The Damian Lillard trade was unexpected. It took him away from the Heat (who didn’t offer much) and from the Celtics (for some dumb reason Boston-fan Bill Simmons still thinks Jrue Holiday is a better player than Damian Lillard.) By acquiring Lillard the Bucks brought in a bon-a-fide superstar. The 33-yr old has averaged 25.2 points a game in his career. That is all-time.
As a fun point of comparison Shaquille O’Neal only averaged 23.7 points a game all-time or Kobe Bryant averaged less than Lillard per-game (25.0) That is some rarified air. (Think outer space!)
But the conversation has to switch. By this time March rolls around, the Bucks should be at around 55 wins. They should be at/around the number 3 seed. And more importantly, they should be getting ready to try to win a playoff series, a task last year’s team could not accomplish.
Related: Milwaukee Bucks Knocked Out
As a team right now Milwaukee is (15-7). This is really good.
Up next is a nice stretch of home games. Milwaukee is a “fake” (10-2) at home because one of the losses counted in the Vegas game. The Bucks are truly (10-1) at home and are really, really good at the Fiserv.
Should the Bucks Really Fire Adrian Griffin?
We’ve already identified Doc Rivers as a potential replacement so, I guess, anything is possible. (UFO’s included.)
Again, back to our “out of this world scenario” and, of course, the Bucks should not fire Adrian Griffin. What planet are you on?
However, this is turning out to be more dramatic than it needed to be.
It is starting to become more apparent that this was what Giannis wanted. He wanted Griffin. After “rumors” continue to circulate that Giannis isn’t currently happy, he might have buyer’s remorse. But either way, he did sign the big contract extension the franchise hoped he would. Score one for GM Jon Horst.
After Nick Nurse turned the job down, it might be a fair criticism to say Giannis has too much control. If this all “goes south”, you’d like to believe Milwaukee could still make a change. This “Giannis-Lillard” experience appears to have a two-year window.
The impatience for all of this, here on Planet Earth, must be from the sense that this “window” is finite.
It’d be cool to fly around in a UFO
You know, owning a UFO would be pretty cool. (I’m looking at you U.S. Government.) You could get to Racine from Milwaukee in like 5 seconds. (That would certainly cut down on my commute.) You could use the Laser to barbecue some food pretty quick. Barbecue chicken anyone?
But the coolest part about owning a UFO, other than cutting down on the commute, would have to be you might be able to defend a slashing Damian Lillard as he flies down the lane.
Lillard can play. The team recognizes that; the fans recognize that. Now it all just needs to start to come together.
Mark the Christmas Day game against the Knicks (11:00am) as that moment when you’d like to see it all really look better. The Knicks have been a little bit of a punching bag for the Bucks so it’ll be interesting to see how that marquee game plays out.
And you might need a UFO to get around in New York anyway. Lord knows it probably wouldn’t seem out of place.
Follow me on Twitter at @authorrudylb and check out my other writings at www.rudylb.com. Follow us at @WiSportsHeroics! For all things Wisconsin sports, click here! Also, check out our merch store for some amazing WSH merchandise!
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the new defensive coordinator for the Packers?
Joe Barry is the current defensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers, continuing his role into the 2023 season. Head coach Matt LaFleur retained him despite mixed results in previous seasons, showing confidence in Barry's strategy for the team's defense.
Where did Joe Barry come from?
Joe Barry is a revered American football coach with an extensive background in the sport. Born in the United States, Barry's origins lie in the heart of American football culture, which has deeply influenced his coaching career and philosophies. His national roots play a key role in his approach to the game.
