The Milwaukee Bucks and Giannis Antetokounmpo are a mess after six games of the 2024-25 NBA regular season.

A 122-99 blowout defeat against the Memphis Grizzlies gave every basketball fan another data point to use when dissing Rivers as a coach. Rivers is not ducking the responsibilities of being the lead man after overseeing a 1-4 start either.

Instead, Rivers gave The Athletic’s Eric Nehm some postgame notes on what needs to improve before the Bucks can win a game.

“The defensive transition was still awful tonight,” Rivers admitted.

“And so that’s on me. Everything is on me until we get it right. We gotta fix this.”

Rivers was ready to bet the house on a Bucks return to championship form sooner rather than later. At least, that was the message before playing the Grizzlies.

“Camp was great. I think the struggles were having early – because we had [training] camp, when we get out of this, we’re gonna make a run,” Rivers stated. “I believe that run is around the corner, but we just gotta get to it.”

Sure the six-game sample size is small but the Milwaukee Bucks (1-4) are languishing near the bottom in several key categories. That should be worrisome for an under-fire Doc Rivers. Adrian Griffin posted a 30-13 record with the Bucks before being run out of town midway through last season. Rivers has gone 18-21 with what was the Eastern Conference’s second-best team last spring.

The Bucks are 22nd in points (111), 28th in three-point percentage (30.6%), 27th in offensive rebounds (8.0), and 26th in assists (21.8) per game. Milwaukee’s defense is just not generating extra possession either. They are 25th in steals and tied for 20th for blocks per game.

In terms of offensive and defensive ratings, Rivers leads the squad ranked 24th and 23rd, respectively. With Robin Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo in the rotations, it is almost intolerable.

Still, it will be hard to right the ship as long as Damian Lillard is going 1-of-12 for four points. That was just how tough it was to get going in Memphis.

The schedule will do the Bucks no favors either. Up next is a home and away against the Cleveland Cavaliers.