Just 41 games into his first season as head coach of the team, the Milwaukee Bucks have decided to fire Adrian Griffin. With internal concerns rising and the team having trouble with Griffin's philosophies, the Bucks decided to make a significant change that could shift the balance of power across the league. Now that Griffin is gone, the Bucks are left with a hole on the sidelines that they hope to fill quickly with Doc Rivers, but may quickly pivot to Golden State Warriors assistant Kenny Atkinson.

While the Bucks have begun discussions with Rivers to become the new head coach of the franchise, Atkinson remains a candidate for the opening should a deal not get done with Rivers, according to The Athletic. Atkinson had interviewed for the Bucks' head coaching vacancy last summer and was the runner-up to Griffin, who received the offer from Milwaukee.

Atkinson has been with the Warriors since the start of the 2021-22 season and has previously been mentioned as one of the better head coaching candidates out there. Despite interviewing with the Bucks to be their head coach during the offseason, it would be a little shocking to see Atkinson leave the Warriors in wake of Dejan Milojevic's sudden and tragic passing that has left the entire Warriors organization in mourning. A title held by Mike Brown before he left to become the head coach of the Sacramento Kings, Atkinson is currently Steve Kerr's top assistant.

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Early indications point towards the Bucks getting a deal done with Rivers to become their next head coach. Rivers, who was fired by the Philadelphia 76ers this past offseason, has 24 years of head coaching experience in the NBA. He is currently working as an analyst for ESPN. While Rivers is their top choice, there is no guarantee that Milwaukee will be able to make the 62-year-old their next head coach, hence the interest in Kenny Atkinson.

The Bucks currently find themselves with a 30-13 record, just 3.5 games behind the Boston Celtics for the best record in the NBA. Not envisioning Griffin's coaching plans leading them to a championship this season, Milwaukee is now pressed for time to find a suitable replacement.