Doc Rivers Says Bucks Won’t Overhaul Roster After 45-Point Loss
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Milwaukee, WI — Head coach Doc Rivers insisted Wednesday that the Milwaukee Bucks have no plans for sweeping changes despite Sunday’s 127-82 defeat in Brooklyn, a 45-point margin that tied the largest victory in Nets history.
“We like our team. I really like this team,” Rivers told reporters after practice. “We’re not playing well for a lot of reasons. You don’t recreate the wheel. Teams that do that fail. I’ve been around long enough to know that.”
The Bucks, now 11-16, have dropped 15 of their past 22 games following a 4-1 start and remain without star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, sidelined the last two weeks by a right calf strain. Milwaukee is 2-8 this season when Antetokounmpo is out.
Sunday’s lopsided loss prompted blunt assessments from the locker room. “It was embarrassing,” guard Ryan Rollins said.
Milwaukee used consecutive practice days to address execution and defensive lapses, but Rivers emphasized the sessions were for “tweaks,” not an overhaul. “This is not a blow-it-all-up situation,” he added.
The rocky start has fueled external speculation about Antetokounmpo’s future, though Rivers dismissed reports of internal trade discussions. The Bucks have beaten contenders such as Boston and Golden State yet have stumbled against several sub-.500 clubs.
Milwaukee returns to action Thursday at home against the Toronto Raptors. Center Myles Turner summed up the immediate objective: “We have to perform. There’s no time for excuses.”
Source: Hoops Wire
