The Milwaukee Bucks are adjusting their style ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season, but head coach Doc Rivers insists the shift is not about copying the Indiana Pacers or any other team.
Speaking to The Athletic’s Eric Nehm following the Bucks’ first training camp session Tuesday, Rivers addressed speculation that Milwaukee’s new approach mirrors Indiana’s up-tempo, chemistry-driven model that carried the Pacers to the NBA Finals last season.
“There’s a difference,” Rivers said. “There’s copycats. Everybody spent years trying to be Golden State, and nobody was. We’re not going to be (the Pacers). We’re going to be us.
We’re going to play at our pace, but we’re going to do things quicker. We are changing because I think that’s how we have to play. But if we were a slow, big team, I wouldn’t try to play like that. I just think you’ve got to be the best version of yourself to win. I think teams make a mistake when they try to be someone else.”
The Bucks enter camp looking to rebound from consecutive first-round playoff exits, both coming at the hands of the Pacers. Indiana eliminated Milwaukee this past April and went on to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.
Bucks reshape roster after Pacers playoff loss as Doc Rivers shifts playstyle
In response, the Bucks reshaped their roster during the offseason. They opened free agency by signing center Myles Turner, addressing interior depth and rim protection. The team parted ways with Damian Lillard, who agreed to a buyout before returning to the Portland Trail Blazers. Milwaukee also signed veteran guard Gary Harris in free agency and added Cole Anthony, who was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in the Desmond Bane deal before reaching a buyout. The front office re-signed Taurean Prince, Jericho Sims, Kevin Porter Jr., and Chris Livingston, while sending Pat Connaughton and two second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for guard Vasa Micic.
For Rivers, the changes reflect a broader vision of what the Bucks need to become in order to contend.
“I felt strongly that it’s hard to win with the way we were gonna play, at the pace that we were trying to play at,” Rivers said. “And you could see that early, as far as the way that we play. We still won games, and we were good, but I just felt strongly (that), to take that next step, we need more speed. We need more guys that can guard multiple positions. And I thought we needed to play a different brand of offense as well.”
Milwaukee finished 48-34 last season, but inconsistency and injuries undermined their chances of a deeper playoff run. Now entering his second season as head coach, Rivers is using training camp to accelerate adjustments and establish a new identity built around pace, versatility, and defensive flexibility.
The Bucks will open the 2025-26 regular season at home against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, Oct. 22. The game will be broadcast on MNMT.
