Rivers says Bucks won’t overhaul roster after 45-point defeat
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Doc Rivers insists the Milwaukee Bucks will stay the course despite a 127-82 loss to the Brooklyn Nets that tied the most lopsided victory in Nets history.
The head coach, speaking Wednesday after practice in Milwaukee, said no sweeping adjustments are planned even though the Bucks are 11-16 and have not posted back-to-back wins since Oct. 28-30.
“We like our team,” Rivers said. “We’re not playing well for a lot of reasons, but you don’t recreate the wheel. Teams that do that fail.”
Searching for answers without Antetokounmpo
Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has missed the last two weeks with a right calf strain after sitting earlier with a left adductor issue. Milwaukee is 2-8 this season when the nine-time All-NBA forward is out of the lineup.
The Bucks opened the campaign 4-1 but have gone 7-15 since. Sunday’s loss in Brooklyn was their last outing before two rare consecutive practice days.
“It was just an embarrassing game for us,” guard Ryan Rollins said.
Milwaukee returns to action Thursday at home against the Toronto Raptors.
Players say defeat was a wake-up call
Guard Kevin Porter Jr. called the 45-point setback an eye-opener. “You don’t ever want to be on that end,” he said. “Sitting on that loss definitely makes it worse.”
Center Myles Turner added that the NBA is now a “play-hard league” and the Bucks must rediscover the energy displayed during a 4-1 start. “It’s really no time for excuses,” Turner said.
No plans for major lineup or system changes
Rivers emphasized minor tweaks rather than overhauls. “We like what we run. We like our defensive package. We’ve just got to do it better,” he said. “This is not, ‘We’re five games under .500, let’s blow it all up.’”
The Bucks’ uneven résumé includes wins over Boston, Golden State and Detroit, but also losses to Washington, Charlotte, Brooklyn and Sacramento—teams with records well below .500.
Leaguewide speculation about Antetokounmpo’s future has intensified during the slide, though Rivers has denied an ESPN report that the star is discussing his long-term status with team officials.
Source: ESPN
