Doc Rivers has coached in the NBA for a very long time, 27 seasons to be exact.
Rivers is an NBA Champion, ranked as one the greatest 15 coaches of all time, and holds the 7th most wins of all time with 1173. Rivers has seen it all, done it all, and proved it all.
Yet so far in Milwaukee he can’t win, more specifically without star Giannis Antetokounmpo as this season alone Milwaukee is 2-10 without Giannis.
Doc Rivers on the latest Giannis Antetokounmpo report:
“Giannis has never asked to be traded. Ever. I can’t make that more clear.
“I go to the source. I talk to the source every single day … He loves Milwaukee and he loves the Bucks.”pic.twitter.com/F2876Q8ttU
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) December 3, 2025
Milwaukee has struggled on the road at 3-10, Doc Rivers can’t win without Giannis, and many questionable decisions have been made regarding Ryan Rollins minutes, Myles Turner 4th quarter usage, and the closing lineups, highlighted by their 7-9 record in clutch games.
Milwaukee Bucks fans you may be losing a generational talent in Giannis Antetokounmpo. We explorer the possibility of the Bucks winning the draft lottery OnSihttps://t.co/jisxi5HpTp
— Adel 🏀 (@DigitalAdel) December 23, 2025
So, while the Bucks admitted their mistake with firing Adrian Griffin, could they do the same thing with Doc Rivers, or is Doc the only connection Milwaukee has left to Giannis.
Our Milwaukee Bucks team OnSi takes a look at the question at hand below.
Austin Dobbins- Yes
Adrian Griffin got fired when Milwaukee was 30-13 — while he may not have been the right fit — he was winning; Doc Rivers is not, especially without Giannis. Milwaukee continues to fail on the road, lose clutch games, fail without Giannis, and get blown out by bad teams (127-82 against the Nets). Beyond the questionable rotations, it doesn’t appear Rivers is getting through to the Bucks roster, with or without Giannis he is not the right choice to lead this team in the future, especially as a potential rebuild looms large.
“Yes, the Milwaukee Bucks should move on from Doc Rivers. Based on the repeated reports that Bucks GM Jon Horst is looking to upgrade Milwaukee’s roster the team isn’t giving up on this season or the idea of winning with Giannis Antetokounmpo on the roster. Between his multiple instances of starting Jericho Sims at power forward and the new trend of minimizing promising young player Ryan Rollins in the rotation, Rivers is not getting the most out of the Bucks roster and a coaching change could help as much or more as a big panic trade at this point. Milwaukee was always going to struggle with Giannis missing so much time, but the basketball product shouldn’t be this bad.”
“The answer is “Yes” if Giannis wants it. If the Bucks really want to build around Giannis, they will do whatever they can to keep him happy. Giannis should have a say in who he wants to coach the team. If that’s Doc, keep him. If it’s not, find someone who is. The Bucks should really try to do their best to keep Giannis on board because no amount of picks and players they acquire for him will give them a player of his caliber.”
Jan 31, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers watches forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) shoots during the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Milwaukee is at a crossroads, and a coaching change could be what is necessary to get the Bucks back on track, with or without Giannis.
Either way, there are many decisions to be made and even without Giannis, the Milwaukee Bucks shouldn’t be this bad.
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