Doc Rivers Deserves Credit For Major Bucks' Success Story

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers completed his second season with the team and is receiving credit for develop one of the team's younger players.

Shooting forward A.J. Green took on a larger role this past season, becoming one of the team's go-to floor spacers.

Since star Giannis Antetokounmpo is unable to shoot at an average level and relies on consistently attacking the basket, the roster needs shooters to create space for Antetokounmpo to operate.

This need makes players like Green extremely valuable for the Bucks and his development became important for the roster.

Green's development — according to The Athletic's Eric Nehm — is credited to Rivers' coaching.

"Green was only able to get to this position because of the opportunity he received from Rivers over the last two seasons. It wasn’t just that Rivers played Green, but Rivers made sure to create a role that made sense for Green," Nehm wrote in a mailbag article for The Athletic.

"Some plays involved Green as a screener for Antetokounmpo in inverted pick-and-rolls and after-timeout plays that freed Green for catch-and-shoot 3-point opportunities.

Through three seasons in the NBA, Green is shooting 42.1% from 3-point range. His playing time has steadily increased over his career. This past season, he averaged 22.7 minutes per game.

In those minutes, he averaged 7.4 points, 1.4 assists, and 2.4 rebounds. Heading into this upcoming season, Green is likely to take on an even bigger role.

The Bucks roster is heading towards a massive shake-up. It will be a retooling or a full-on rebuild, depending on whether or not Antetokounmpo is traded.

Milwaukee was eliminated in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The roster is depleted of assets, and it is unlikely to make meaningful roster additions.

AJ Green had a career high last night 🔥

27 PTS
9-11 FG
7-8 3PT
21 minutes played pic.twitter.com/VdBYPdyJUa
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) February 9, 2024

Antetokounmpo is now weighing a potential trade request, moving towards a new team that has a more immediate and clear championship window.

Regardless of whether or not the Greek Freak moves on from the Bucks, Green is poised to be a building block for the organization.

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