Nuggets HC Michael Malone Sympathizes With ex-Bucks Coach Adrian Griffin: “On the Other Hand, You Have Doc Rivers..”

The NBA world was taken by surprise when the Milwaukee Bucks fired their first-year head coach, Adrian Griffin. To make the Bucks’ situation even more interesting, the front office hired celebrated coach Doc Rivers less than 24 hours later. Many openly stated their exclamations of shock at such a twist of events.

The Nuggets head coach, Michael Malone, is also one of them. He offered his sympathy at the state of affairs, but couldn’t stop himself from saying, “On the other hand, you have Doc Rivers. His resume speaks for itself.”

Some might say that Griffin’s dismissal was only a matter of time. While Milwaukee looked dominant on the surface, there was instability on the inside. Be it the subtle side-eyes or the more obvious distrust between the players and their coach. One example of a rocking Bucks boat was during the preseason.

The Brew City’s assistant coach, Terry Stotts, stepped down from his position two weeks before the regular season. Griffin and Stotts didn’t see eye to eye, and the shootaround incident seemed to be the final straw. As reported by Charania, Stotts was on his way to speak to Dame and Giannis individually after the players’ huddle, when Griffin yelled at Terry in front of the entire team to join a coaches’ huddle.

Many other incidents following this led at least a few keen-eyed pundits to predict Adrian Griffin’s time with the Milwaukee Bucks getting shorter. But is bringing the 62-year-old coach really the solution to the Badger State’s troubles?

Can Rivers change the flow of the Bucks?

That is what Milwaukee is banking on. They are hoping that the 3x All-Star Game head coach can bring order and discipline to an elite team. Griffin failed to earn the respect or trust of the Bucks’ squad. But they will find it hard to stand their ground against one of the most accomplished coaches in the NBA.

Read More: Doc Rivers Reveals 2 Reasons Why He Accepted Bucks Offer and Rejected Other NBA Teams

Rivers, if anything, is known to bring the best out of his players. And Milwaukee boasts some of the top NBA talents. Two All-Stars, an elite offense, a blueprint of a defense that Doc should be able to work with, and a supportive cast. With Antetokounmpo and Lillard driven to get their ring, there is no doubt that having an equally hard-nosed coach would work wonders.

Adding on to what Malone said, getting Rivers on a second-seeded East team could just be what the doctor ordered. Anyway, Doc isn’t one to put his money on a losing bet. And the Bucks won’t lose another game for the lack of an authoritative voice.

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