"Come in with our little canes and wheelchairs" - Doc Rivers hilariously previews Bucks facing young OKC Thunder in NBA Cup final
The Milwaukee Bucks are set to play in the Finals of this year's NBA Cup. Milwaukee went undefeated in the Group Stage, beating the Toronto Raptors, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat and Detroit Pistons. Then in the single elimination games, they beat the Orlando Magic in the quarterfinal and the Atlanta Hawks in the semis to advance to the Finals.
The Bucks will be going up against a much younger squad, the OKC Thunder. Reporter Malika Andrews asked coach Doc Rivers what he can learn from facing off against one of the best young, up-and-coming rosters in the league today.
In his response, Rivers poked fun at the difference in age and experience between the two teams.
"I don't know if we're gonna learn anything except for we believe in us anyway," Rivers responded. "They're good, I enjoy watching them play."
He then gave props to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whom Rivers got to coach in his rookie season with the LA Clippers in 2018-19. He then added a hilarious remark about facing the young Thunder squad.
"I joke about it," Rivers added. "All these young teams are flying around and we're going to come in with our little canes and wheelchairs and play 'em."
The Milwaukee Bucks have several players on their roster who have 10 or more years of experience. Brook Lopez is the eldest player on the team and is playing in what is now his 17th season.
Then there's Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton, who are both in their 13th seasons in the NBA. Then there's Giannis Antetokounmpo who is in his 12th.
Additionally, Bobby Portis, Delon Wright and Pat Connaughton are all in season number 10.
As for the OKC Thunder, the most experienced player on their team is 2020 champion Alex Caruso. The defensive stalwart is now playing in his eighth season. Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kenrich Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein are in season number seven.
Also read: 5 things Milwaukee Bucks must do to beat OKC Thunder in 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Final
The Milwaukee Bucks now have a winning record after a slow start to the season
The Milwaukee Bucks started the season somewhat slow. After dominating the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers with a 124-109 victory in their season opener, they proceeded to go on a losing streak.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and company dropped six straight games after their opening-day victory, falling to 1-6 to begin the campaign. They would not get back to the win column again until Nov. 7 against the Utah Jazz where they once again won in dominating fashion (123-100). After that win, Milwaukee would lose their next two games to drop to 2-8 in their first 10 contests.
Since that slow start, the Bucks seem to have found a way to turn things around. In their next ten games, they managed to go 9-1. Their only loss? A hard-fought matchup against the Charlotte Hornets on Nov. 16 which they lost by one point (115-114).
They did end up losing two straight again after that 9-1 run but bounced back to win their last three games. The Milwaukee Bucks' record now stands at 14-11 after their less-than-ideal start.