The Milwaukee Bucks' decision to fire head coach Adrian Griffin on Tuesday caught everyone by surprise — perhaps even their superstars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard. Check that. All Milwaukee players. That can be deduced from general manager Jon Horst revealing that no Bucks player was asked for any opinion on the matter before handing Griffin his walking papers.

“Horst said that he did not consult any players before making the decision,” Eric Nehm of The Athletic reported.

The Bucks let go of Griffin despite the team being 30-13 at the time of his firing. Milwaukee was also on a two-game win streak when he was fired, though both of those victories were shaky ones over the lowly Detroit Pistons.

Nevertheless, on paper, it looked as though Griffin was doing a fine job steering the Bucks. But further inspection of the Bucks' status will also show that the team's defense has significantly regressed in the 2023-24 NBA season. In the 2022-23 NBA season, the Bucks were fourth in the league with a 111.3 adjusted defensive rating. This season, they are a sub-20 team in that area with a 117.2 adjusted defensive rating through 43 games — all under Griffin.

All that being said, it can still be surprising to learn that the Bucks went in the direction they took with Griffin without asking the players, though, sometimes, actions speak louder than words.

The Bucks will begin their journey in the post-Griffin era Thursday against the Cleveland Cavaliers at home — the same team that handed them a 40-point beating on Jan. 17, a game that probably was among the last straws that ultimately cost the coach his job in Milwaukee.