BREAKING: Joy Taylor Sends Brutal Message To Doc Rivers Over Comments About Road Record
Midway through the season, the Milwaukee Bucks, despite their star-studded roster, found themselves underperforming, leading to the decision to dismiss rookie head coach Adrian Griffin.
Doc Rivers, who had been coaching continuously since the 1999-2000 season until earlier this season, took over from Griffin, and initially, it seemed like the Bucks were making progress.
However, their recent performance tells a different story, with the team losing seven of their last 13 games, including a disappointing 117-113 defeat to the Washington Wizards, one of the NBA’s struggling teams.
.@JoyTaylorTalks responds to Doc Rivers saying the team doesn't bring the "necessary professionalism" on the road.
"Even if this is true, why would you bring this to anyone's attention?" pic.twitter.com/ibuNWXNJQm
— Speak (@SpeakOnFS1) April 3, 2024
Following the loss, Rivers attributed the team’s struggles on the road to a lack of “necessary professionalism.” However, Joy Taylor of FS1’s “Speak” questioned the wisdom of Rivers making such a statement, especially considering the Bucks’ losing record on the road under his leadership.
Taylor raised the point that even if Rivers’ observation holds truth, it may not have been prudent to publicly highlight it, questioning the benefit of drawing attention to a negative aspect of the team’s performance.
The Milwaukee Bucks made a significant move last summer by acquiring future Hall of Fame guard Damian Lillard, while also retaining several key players from their 2021 NBA championship-winning team.
Despite high expectations for the Bucks to contend for another title this season, they have struggled to establish a clear identity.
While Doc Rivers is regarded as a competent head coach, there’s a perception that he’s coasting on the reputation he earned from leading the 2008 Boston Celtics to a championship.
One notable issue that lingers is Rivers’ history of losing leads in playoff series, including blowing 3-1 and 3-2 series advantages multiple times.
Last year, Milwaukee suffered a surprising first-round exit in the postseason against the Miami Heat. If the playoffs were to start today, they might face the Heat again in the first round, adding pressure to their playoff prospects.