The Milwaukee Bucks have fired head coach Adrian Griffin in a shock dismissal that comes with the workforce ranked second within the Japanese Convention standings.
ESPN reported that the Bucks have recognized former Philadelphia coach Doc Rivers as a potential alternative after axing Griffin simply seven months into his tenure.
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Griffin, 49, was appointed in June after the abrupt sacking of predecessor Mike Budenholzer, who was ditched after the Bucks crashed out of final season’s playoffs within the first spherical.
There had been few clues that Griffin’s place was underneath menace, with the Bucks making a strong begin to the season that has left them with a 30-13 document — the second greatest successful proportion within the league.
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It additionally ranked as the perfect document held by a head coach who was then dismissed throughout a season since David Blatt in 2015-16 (30-11).
Griffin’s final recreation in cost was Tuesday’s 122-113 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
ESPN reported that assistant Bucks coach Joe Prunty can be promoted to take over from Griffin within the interim till a everlasting successor is appointed.
Sports activities Illustrated’s Chris Mannix reported on Wednesday within the wake of the information that there “have been regular rumblings for weeks in NBA circles that a number of Bucks veterans, together with Giannis, had misplaced religion in Griffin”.
“What gave the impression to be [a] sensible rent final spring simply by no means labored out,” he added.
ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski described it as an “agonising determination” for the Bucks, who made the decision in a bid to maximise the workforce’s championship window.
“They have been very keen on Adrian Griffin and gave him his first head teaching alternative this offseason,” he mentioned on ESPN’s ‘NBA At present’.
“However they checked out the place this workforce was, the way it was responding underneath Griffin, though the second-best document proper now … they’ve such a good championship window with Giannis Antetokounmpo [and] definitely the Damian Lillard commerce, which occurred after they employed Adrian Griffin as head coach.
“They decided to make the change… they’re going to start out a search instantly for a brand new head coach. They need an completed, veteran head coach who is accessible and I’m informed Doc Rivers is among the many very critical candidates that Milwaukee goes to take a look at.
“I feel Adrian Griffin goes to be a very good head coach within the NBA. I feel they really feel that in Milwaukee additionally… it is a distinctive state of affairs the place it’s win-now, give ourselves the absolute best likelihood to compete with the elite of the league. They didn’t assume that they had that anymore with Adrian Griffin.”
Former teammate and participant underneath Griffin, Richard Jefferson, described the information as “stunning” however he too echoed the truth that the Bucks didn’t have the time to be affected person.
“It’s championship or bust, particularly if you get a person like Dame added to your roster, in order that there grew to become troublesome,” he mentioned on ‘NBA At present’.
“I don’t assume that is an indictment as a lot on Adrian Griffin’s skill to teach. I feel it was extra of with this group, with their timetable as a really younger, new coach that’s what makes it troublesome.”
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Whereas Milwaukee sits second within the Japanese Convention with a 30-13 document, there have been critical doubts over the workforce’s skill to push fellow contenders Boston and Philadelphia in a best-of-seven collection given its suspect defence.
The Bucks rank twenty second within the league in defensive score and have the hardest remaining schedule within the league in response to Tankathon, which additional inflates their begin to the season.
“The fact is, we discuss this a lot on this program, if you wish to be a championship workforce it is advisable have a championship defence,” two-time WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike mentioned on ‘NBA At present’.
“A minimum of within the prime 10. Final yr, the Milwaukee Bucks had a championship defence, they have been fourth in defence. This yr they’re twenty second [in defensive efficiency] and significantly in January they’ve been twenty seventh.
“Irrespective of how a lot you like your coach, there are particular requirements particularly when you’ve got Giannis and you set all of the chips in the course of the desk to get Dame Lillard. Lots of people have been criticising how they’ve regarded and I feel that recipe was not essentially for achievement for them on this highly-pressured yr one with that incredible duo.”