An announcement from NBA insider, Adrian Wojnarowski, sent NBA Twitter into a frenzy earlier today.
BREAKING: The Milwaukee Bucks dismissed coach Adrian Griffin, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/UK1MGlKyrY
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 23, 2024
“This was a difficult decision to make during the season,” Horst said via the statement. “We are working immediately toward hiring our next head coach. We thank coach Griffin for his hard work and contributions to the team.”
Bucks GM, Jon Horst, kept his statement brief and has left many wondering what exactly happened that led to his firing. The cause for dismissal was not made clear and it is now assumed that Assistant Joe Prunty will take over as the interim coach.
What’s even more shocking about the news is that Griffin was just tenured into the head coaching position during the offseason – after Mike Budenholzer’s firing at the end of last season! According to some NBA correspondents and reporters, like Kendrick Perkins, Griffin “never had a voice and never had the locker room from the start of training camp.” Perkins also commented on Griffin’s lack of a defensive mentality which eventually became detrimental to the team’s overall performance.
So, where does Doc Rivers fit into all of this?
According to The Athletic’s, Shams Charania, Rivers is a top candidate the team would consider for the head coach position. Even after a disappointing postseason run with the Philadelphia 76ers in his three-season tenure, Rivers still has 24 seasons of NBA head coaching experience under his belt – including a championship ring with the 2007-08 Boston Celtics.
It wouldn’t necessarily be a bad move if the Bucks do choose to go down that route.
