"The worry is outside the building": Doc Rivers brushes off panic inside locker room after Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Bucks' horrid start
Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers confidently dismissed any notion of panic within the team after a rough start to the 2024-25 NBA season. Speaking candidly before the Bucks’ home game against the Utah Jazz at Fiserv Forum on Thursday, Doc acknowledged the scrutiny facing him and his staff following six straight losses.
Despite the tough start, Rivers maintained that his team is playing “good” basketball. He also addressed concerns from fans and analysts, reassuring them about the Bucks’ resilience amid the season’s early struggles.
"This is a positive group, we believe we’re a really good basketball team that has played poorly at times and last two games you can say we played well and lost the games, there’s a big picture thing to this," Doc said. "The worry is outside the building I guarantee you that, there is none inside the building."
The Bucks started their season on a positive note with a 124-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. However, the Eastern Conference team has since struggled, dropping six consecutive games. They now sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, tied with the Utah Jazz for the league’s worst record at 1-6.
Doc Rivers urges his team to be more clinical
Following the Milwaukee Bucks' painful 116-114 defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers in their last game, Doc Rivers pointed to “self-inflicted” mistakes, emphasizing that his team should likely have won both matchups against the Cavaliers. The Bucks first lost by one point, followed by a narrow two-point defeat in back-to-back games against Cleveland.
"We were supposed to switch and we just didn’t. Those are the things that just kill you," Doc said after the game on Monday. "You play so hard, man and then you make these little self-inflicted wounds. But we’re proud of our guys. … We had so many chances to win the game. Last two games, we’ve had chances to win the game."
The Bucks have a golden opportunity to halt their six-game losing streak when they face off against the struggling Utah Jazz on Thursday.