During his media chat during All-Star Saturday, Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t mince words about how hard this season has been for him. Now on his fourth head coach in the span of six months, it’s unprecedented territory for the 2x MVP and he freely admits that it has been a struggle to adjust.
“It’s hard. It’s hard. This is my fourth coach in the span of six months,” said Giannis, via Rob Peterson of The Athletic. “Coach (Mike Budenholzer), coach (Adrian Griffin), (interim) coach Joe (Prunty) and Doc.
“Different philosophy, different game plan. It’s hard. It’s draining. I’m a student of the game. When somebody asks me to do something, I try to do it to the best of my ability. I try to understand what we’re trying to accomplish, both so I can understand and so I can be there for my teammates when they ask questions.”
There has been a constant turnover of coaches in Milwaukee lately—Adrian Griffin, Joe Prunty, Mike Budenholzer, and now Doc Rivers—and it’s becoming difficult to keep up. The players, who have to pick up and retain a new system with every new coach, must be going through a lot.
Only a few weeks ago, the most recent hire, Rivers, was brought on board following the swift dismissal of former coach Adrian Griffin. Although Giannis has fully embraced Doc’s system, his tenure has not been easy. Doc was an easy hire for the Bucks because he was the most experienced and qualified candidate available.
“But yeah, I love working with Coach Doc. He’s been very, very successful. We can talk all day about things he’s accomplished around the league. He’s won, I think, 1,100 NBA games. Some people have never played 1,100 games.”
At the All-Star break, Milwaukee is sitting 3rd in the East with a 35-21 record. While it’s been a solid season for the Bucks, it’s hardly been the dominant showing that they (and the fans) were expecting to have with Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo leading the show.