Doc Rivers gets 100% honest on state of Bucks roster as injuries mount
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The Milwaukee Bucks are going through it, and head coach Doc Rivers understands that sentiment. Even when Giannis Antetokounmpo and Chris Paul had a heated exchange in the Bucks loss, the frustration stems deeper than one action. As Rivers explained, missing star players leaves a lasting effect on the team.
"We miss Bobby (Portis), we miss his size, we're not deep in that position," Rivers said before Friday's game via The Athletic. "We have two 5s, one 4 and one of them out, it really stretches you. You're forced to play small ball every night, and really just extending guys' minutes that you don't want to extend.
That's on top of just missing Bobby and everything he does for your team. So it's a lot. But any of those three, if they miss a game, it's difficult for us."
They’ve won 6 of their last 9 games. Still, they’ve had injuries to Portis, Antetokounmpo, and Damian Lillard through this stretch. Although the wins have been there, there have been some inconsistencies. As a result, the Bucks have been rumored in a possible Jimmy Butler trade. Acquiring a superstar might or might not be the answer, but it could give them a good boost.
Doc Rivers is holding the Bucks accountable
Rivers’s expectation of his team is one of a champion. After all, he won the 2008 NBA championship with the Boston Celtics. Since then though, his coaching career has been flucutating. He’s had some quality regular seasons but that success hasn’t translated over to the playoffs.
Fast forward to the 2023-24 season, the Bucks hired Rivers halfway through the season. Still, the postseason woes continued. However, fast forward one year and Milwaukee is back on track. At the end of the day however, losing guys like Portis, Antetokounmpo, and Lillard only makes matters difficult.
For Portis, he solidifies a post-centric offense. Not to mention, he’s been a sniper from 3-point range since arriving in Milwaukee. That inside-out game helps the Lillard and Antetokounmpo pick-and-roll so much. His contributions might not show up in the stat sheet like his fellow teammates, but his impact goes way beyond that.
Following a crushing loss to the San Antonio Spurs, all Rivers can hope for is that Portis will be healthy. Hopefully for Milwaukee, their motivator and energizer will come back before Sunday’s home contest against the Memphis Grizzlies. Either way, the team will have their work cut out for them against one of the best offenses in the NBA.
The post Doc Rivers gets 100% honest on state of Bucks roster as injuries mount appeared first on ClutchPoints.
