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"They are a very coachable team" - Doc Rivers sees no coaching problems with the Milwaukee Bucks

Doc Rivers has a good first impression with the Bucks.
Matthew Dugandzic|
© Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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Doc Rivers couldn’t take off to a winning start in his first game with Milwaukee, but for the veteran coach, there was a lot to be desired in the Bucks’ 107-113 loss on Monday night.

Coachable Bucks

Aside from being satisfied with Milwaukee’s defensive effort, Rivers was pleased with the attitude of the Bucks as he sees a very promising relationship with his new players.

“They’re great. They are a very coachable team. They’re adults. That will not be a problem with this group,” said Rivers, who dropped to 1-4 in his career in his first game with a new team.

Milwaukee lost a 13-point lead and mounted an endgame run but was ultimately stopped by the Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic-led Nuggets. The resiliency shown by Milwaukee left Rivers impressed.

“The fight is there. That’s something really encouraging moving forward,” said Rivers.

The Bucks have it takes to defend well

Contrary to ongoing criticisms, Rivers lauded the Bucks defense, even calling their halfcourt defense as “excellent.” Doc was particularly pleased with how the Bucks defended Jokic.

Jokic scored 25 points, but he needed 25 shots to get there. The number of attempts that Jokic took showed the quality of defense that the Bucks showed in the loss, Rivers said.

“That’s exactly what we need. He had to fight for his points tonight, difficult points. When he takes 25, that means a couple of things. Number one, he couldn’t find guys the way he wanted to. And then number two, that means he had to force a lot of tough shots,” said Rivers.

They may have ended up losing the contest, but Doc hopes that Milwaukee could sustain the kind of defense they put on against the Nuggets.

“That’s what our defense has to be,” Rivers said.

Doc Rivers asks the Milwaukee Bucks fandom to be more patient after loss in Denver

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.