It has looked bleak at multiple points this season, but somehow, someway, the Milwaukee Bucks are still alive in the playoff hunt — especially now that Giannis Antetokounmpo is back in action after a month-plus long absence due to a calf injury.
While it remains mathematically possible for the Bucks to make it to the play-in tournament, as they, at the time of writing, are only sitting four games behind the Atlanta Hawks in the standings, the fact that they're not in the playoff picture is a telltale sign that the team just isn't good enough.
The greatness of Antetokounmpo cannot be denied, but the lengthy absence of a superstar shouldn't entail that the team would collapse around him. For the Bucks, they've collapsed for most of the season when Antetokounmpo is on the mend. They've gone 11-18 without him, and that simply would not cut it.
The good news, of course, is that Antetokounmpo remains on the roster even though he was on the trade block just a month ago and it looked like a blockbuster trade involving him would finally materialize.
This just means that the Bucks are still on the clock, as there is a non-zero chance that Antetokounmpo commits his future to the team despite their bleak short to mid-term outlook.
And while they are limited in the changes they can make to the roster, perhaps the Bucks could start to convince Antetokounmpo that they mean business by cleaning house — starting with the departure of head coach Doc Rivers.
Bucks have to start fresh, move on from Doc Rivers
The Bucks made the stunning decision back in 2024, despite having a 30-13 record, to fire Adrian Griffin and replace him with Doc Rivers as the team's head coach. They finished the season below .500 under Rivers (they went 19-20) and they flamed out in the first round of the playoffs against eventual conference finalist Indiana Pacers.
Now, this is not going to turn into a defense of Griffin. By all accounts, the Bucks locker room questioned his tactics as Griffin didn't make maximize the team's personnel. But reports showed that Griffin did adjust to his players when they called him out, although the fact that they had to meant that their respect of him was fractured to begin with.
Nonetheless, Griffin coached a horrible defense, and it was evident that Antetokounmpo had grown tired of his schemes. They replaced Griffin with Rivers, who at least has the respect of the people in the locker room.
That might be the lone saving grace of Rivers at this point of his coaching career. Everyone knows the story with Rivers: he won the title in 2008 with the Boston Celtics, maintains a sense of professionalism in the locker room which commands respect from everybody on the team, and he is a consistent producer of wins, at least in the regular season.
In the playoffs is where Rivers has had his fair share of black eyes. He's the only head coach in NBA history to blow multiple 3-1 leads in a playoff series. His star-studded teams tend to underperform under the postseason bright lights. But this is all moot when the Bucks team he's coaching at present couldn't even make it to the postseason to begin with.
Some Bucks fans may be wondering as to why Rivers hasn't been fired yet. The results haven't been there, and there's been nothing but disappointment in the Cream City ever since the team brought him in. It's clear that his voice still has influence in the locker room, and that Antetokounmpo is at least on board with him staying unlike with Griffin.
The Bucks' shortcomings this season aren't exactly Rivers' fault. The team he's currently coaching is not very good anyway. But he isn't exactly adding wins to the team. Some of his rotation decisions as of late were baffling; why did Kyle Kuzma not play at all in their recent loss to the Boston Celtics? Why did Ryan Rollins, of all people, get benched upon Antetokounmpo's return?
It is simply time for a fresh start for the Bucks under the tutelage of a well-regarded coach who knows how to handle locker rooms with big egos. And for once, the Bucks have to enlist the services of a fresh voice, an up-and-coming assistant who's paid his dues during his time in the NBA.
Why Micah Nori deserves a shot in Milwaukee
Nori has been an assistant coach in the NBA for 17 seasons, and he's currently part of the Minnesota Timberwolves coaching staff under head coach Chris Finch. He is the team's lead assistant, as he takes over for Finch if Finch were to get ejected or miss time due to personal reasons or even injury.
Most accounts state that Nori is a master of managing the game state, which means that his main strength is adjusting to what he sees to the court. Now, the head coaching job requires more than mastery of such skill. Even then, his tactical schemes may be just what gets Antetokounmpo on board for at least the next few years.
If there's anything Antetokounmpo wants from a coach, it's defensive stability and communication. Nori provides both; players have gushed over the Timberwolves assistant's ability to forge relationships with them, and he's been helpful in architecting Minnesota's defense that routinely ranks in the top-10 in the NBA.
Considering how the Bucks are lacking in scoring weapons around Antetokounmpo, getting it done on defense has to be priority number one for them. They are currently 24th in that department, which simply won't cut it. They have solid individual pieces on defense, with Kevin Porter Jr. and Rollins being very disruptive, and Myles Turner has a long history of adequate rim protection, but it just has not come together under Rivers.
Now, the Bucks may want an experienced head coach to reel Antetokounmpo in. But Milwaukee has to avoid retread head coaches at all costs. And there may not be a better candidate for a potential Bucks head coaching vacancy than Nori.
