When does Doc Rivers take over as the Milwaukee Bucks’ head coach?
After departing the Boston Celtics in May 2023, Doc Rivers is back in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks. But when will he be back courtside for his new team?
Rivers took over for Adrain Griffin, who was sacked 43 games into his career, even though the Bucks were just four wins behind the Celtics in the Eastern Conference with a 20-5 home record.
On January 29, when the Bucks play the Denver Nuggets, Rivers will finally have his hands on Giannis Antetokounmpo after using an interim coach for the 44th and 45th games of the season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
Being the defending NBA champions with Nikola Jokic, the Nuggets are now 1.5 games behind the leaders in the Western Conference, so it’s somewhat of a baptism by fire for the new manager.
In NBA coaching circles, Rivers is well-known for his leadership and strategic acumen. In 1999, he started his coaching career with the Orlando Magic, leading them to the postseason in his debut campaign.
Following that, in 2004, Rivers signed on with the Boston Celtics, where he enjoyed considerable success. In 2008, he helped the squad captained by Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen win the NBA Championship. Before going on to play for the Los Angeles Clippers in 2013, he kept leading the Celtics to lengthy postseason runs.
Rivers strengthened his standing as a premier coach with the Clippers, as he oversaw a gifted team and helped them overcome both regular-season and postseason obstacles. Rivers has received accolades for his defensive tactics, versatility on the sidelines, and ability to communicate with players throughout his coaching career.
In 1860 NBA games as a head coach, Rivers has an outstanding regular season record of.590, which translates to 1097 victories. This drops to.516 for the postseason from 215 games, or 111 victories. Throughout his career, he has lost in the conference semifinals eight times, including every year since 2019–20.
