Finally, the Milwaukee Bucks catch a break. They scored a priceless victory against the Utah Jazz 123-100, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard scoring 30+ points. The morale-boosting victory, we hope, could change the fortunes of the Doc Rivers-led Bucks for the games to come. Yet, various question marks loom regarding the coach’s ability to lead the team. Not by me, but by ex-players who pointed out some imperfections.

One fresh takeaway arose from NBA icon Baron Davis, who carved out a critical point regarding Doc’s philosophy. He appeared on ‘The Big Podcast with Shaq’ to give us an idea about the complicated run the Bucks are on. Safe to say, he threw out some striking points. When a team plays a certain way for a long time, it gets tricky to adapt to new coaches. Adrian Griffin’s unprecedented sacking shocked the entire fanbase. Doc Rivers took the team after Griffin managed for 43 games. It puzzles us because the Bucks happened to be second in the Eastern Conference when it happened.

The players might find it hard to adapt to a new system as Davis mentioned, “You know, like the DNA, right? And so, when a coach got a system, right? And the system trumps the players, right? Then the player can’t live out their capacity. They can have great games, right? But the team don’t align. You feel what I am saying?”

He continued, “So, they have been used to winning and playing a certain way, right? Even with Adrian Griffin. People talked about their defense all that. But to me, the best offense is what? Great defense.” Look at the Warriors right now. They lost Klay Thompson but just beat the Boston Celtics in their backyard. How did Kerr do it? Hustling for second-balls while defending up top. It certainly led to Celtics players hurrying their shots and GSW hurt them in transition.

But here comes the catch!

Doc Rivers’ coaching system flaws exposed by Baron Davis

It’s easy for any basketball fan to understand how Doc Rivers runs his teams. Davis rightly pointed out a ‘pattern’ in which he sees teams managed by Doc. His man-management of players stays on top than most coaches in the league. He galvanized a group of players on an emotional and social level. It led to Davis observing those same patterns in Milwaukee.

He concluded, “Now you bring Doc in and now you defensive-minded, but your offense, you ran the same offense that you ran with the Celtics, with Kevin Garnett. You know what I mean? You run the same offense you ran with the Clippers and now, you trying to implement that in Milwaukee. That offense does not translate in these modern times. It’s a pattern. I tell you formation pattern, ain’t no flow.”

When you break down his blueprint at Boston in 2008, various roles define the players. He sets roles for them and they stick to it while becoming a well-oiled machine. Kevin Garnett marshaled the defense and also scored points in the paint. Meanwhile, Paul Pierce’s movement and spacing took out most players, and he focused on isolation while using his ability to drop shots. Ray Allen and Klay Thompson played similar roles in shooting the ball. Rajon Rondo distributed it and worked hard on perimeter defense.

Those are set roles. The Bucks team right now doesn’t have set roles if you look at it. The scoring remains completely down to Giannis and Damian. Right now they rank 28th in possession with 199, which shouts for improvement. Hence, Doc Rivers will look to get his team up and running soon.

Otherwise, he runs the risk of getting sacked!