Doc Rivers is now the All-Star coach after just three games with the Bucks. He will share the job with Adrian Griffin.
Doc Rivers has only been head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks for a week, but that was enough time for him to be named coach of the Eastern Conference for the 2024 NBA All-Star Game.
After coming back to beat the Dallas Mavericks 129–117 on Saturday, the Bucks made Rivers and his staff All-Star coaches. Chris Finch, the head coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves, will be in charge of the Western Conference star players.
Rivers has been an All-Star Game coach four times: in 2008, 2011, and 2021. This will be his fourth time. The All-Star Game will take place inside the Indiana Pacers’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse on February 18.
Rivers got the job because, by February 4, his team had the best record among East teams with available coaches.
The Bucks are 32-16 and in second place in their conference right now. Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla can’t play in the game due to having coached that team in the 2023 All-Star Game.
On Saturday, the Bucks got their first win in Rivers’ three games with the team. This makes me wonder if Rivers gets the job and all the benefits that come with it.
According to NBA reporter Marc Stein, Rivers agreed with those who think former Bucks coach Adrian Griffin deserves praise.
Rivers said he would give Griffin his All-Star ring or coaching share, even though the Bucks had a 30-13 record at the time Griffin was fired.
Doc Rivers coached his third game over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, and they beat the Dallas Mavericks 129–117. In that game, he earned an opportunity to coach an extra, more important game later this month.
Yes, even though Rivers has spent most of the season working as an ESPN commentator, last night’s win secured his spot as coach of the Eastern Conference All-Stars during the NBA’s upcoming midseason games.
How did that take place? Well, team record is what coaches use to decide who will play in the All-Star Game.
The coaching staff of the top-seeded team in each conference goes to the All-Star Game. However, if a coaching staff went last season, they can’t go this season.
With a 37-12 record, the Boston Celtics have the most impressive record in the Eastern Conference. However, Joe Mazzulla was the coach of the All-Star Game last year. That meant he couldn’t win.
It’s not often that a new coach takes over in the middle of the season and leads an All-Star team, but it has happened before.
The NBA had to move down the list because of this. With their win on Saturday, the Bucks moved up to the No. 2 seed of the Eastern Conference with a 33-16 record.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, who are ranked third, are close behind with a 31-16 record, but they need to choose a coach by Sunday.
The Cavaliers won’t be able to catch up in one day, so the Kings have locked up the second spot until the following Friday. Rivers will now be in charge of managing the Eastern Conference the All-Stars team.
When he was taking over for the fired David Blatt within Cleveland during the 2015-16 season, Ty Lue, who is now the coach of the Los Angeles Clippers and used to work as an assistant for Rivers, did this.
Even so, Rivers admitted that the system was broken after the Bucks beat the Mavericks on Saturday.
Fans thought there were problems within the Milwaukee Bucks when they fired Adrian Griffin as head coach after just one season and after leading the team to a 30-13 record.
Griffin’s firing is still a bit of a mystery, but it’s clear that the organization thought that his presence or methods hurt their chances of winning the championship. Doc Rivers, who took over, is still looking for a breakthrough after going 0-2 so far.
All of this can lead to one of the strangest and most uncomfortable situations in the history of the NBA All-Star game.
If the Bucks get the second-best record in the East by February 4, which is two weeks before the midseason exhibition, Rivers will be the head coach of the NFC team in Indianapolis. Again, he hasn’t won a game with Milwaukee yet.
The strange situation is caused by the rule that staff cannot coach in two consecutive All-Star Games.
Because of this, Boston Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla is automatically out of the playoff running. But Rivers has a plan ready in case things go wrong.
Marc Stein, an NBA reporter, says that he will give Adrian Griffin his share of the bonus associated with being an All-Star as well as his ring.
Documentary filmmaker Doc Rivers doesn’t have to do this, but it seems such as the only thing that makes sense.