JJ Redick Rips Coach Doc Rivers Post Disappointing Start With Bucks

Before the 2013–2014 season officially began, JJ Redick was dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers. In return for head coach Doc Rivers, the Clippers gave a first-round draft selection to the Boston Celtics during the same offseason.

JJ Redick Rips Coach Doc Rivers Post Disappointing Start With Bucks

Redick worked with Rivers in Los Angeles for four seasons. However, the former NBA guard and now television host is not pleased with the Milwaukee Bucks’ performance in the last few weeks under the direction of his former coach.

In a recent episode of ESPN’s “First Take,” Redick chastised Rivers sharply, saying the coach of the Bucks has a tendency to make excuses when his team is having trouble.

After Rivers departed the position to coach the Milwaukee Bucks in a midseason move, the former NBA player joined Mike Breen and Doris Burke on ESPN’s top broadcasting team. However, Redick isn’t allowing him much latitude in his comeback to the bench.

“I’ve seen the trend, I’ve seen the trend for years,” Redick said on “First Take” on Tuesday, excoriating his former coach. “The trend is always making excuses. Doc, we get it. Taking over a team in the middle of a season is hard. Just like getting traded in the middle of a season is hard for a player, we get it.

“It’s always an excuse. It’s always throwing your team under the bus. They lose to Memphis, ‘oh it’s his players fault!’ Memphis was playing G League guys and two-way guys. You look at his quotes over the weekend and now he wants to take credit for the James Harden trade to the Clippers working out? He wants credit for that? There’s never accountability with that guy.”

In response to Milwaukee’s defeat by the Memphis Grizzlies in their last game prior to the All-Star break, Redick also criticized Rivers’ remarks. The Grizzlies, who started without a single starter or key role player, defeated the Bucks 113–110 despite Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and the rest of Milwaukee’s rotation playing big minutes.

After claiming that Rivers advised him before the Clippers made the historic transaction that resulted in the acquisition of James Harden from the Philadelphia 76ers, Redick concluded his tirade by criticizing Rivers’ remarks.

Milwaukee, at 35-21 and the third-ranked club in the Eastern Conference behind players Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, lost to a depleted Grizzlies squad in the last game before the break, which caused Rivers to joke that they “had some guys in Cabo.”

Additionally, he said that when he was employed by ESPN, he was contacted prior to the 76ers trading for James Harden in an early-season blockbuster.

“I was the one, obviously, they consulted,” Rivers told ClutchPoints at the All-Star festivities. “They made calls and I was one of the guys who said it would be a great deal for them because I thought he fit them better than he would fit the Sixers team. I think he’s a perfect fit there.”

Redick has firsthand experience with Rivers’ coaching style having spent four years playing for the Los Angeles Clippers under his tutelage. Furthermore, based on what’s been said, Redick seems to have strong feelings about Rivers’ perceived lack of accountability for his team’s performance.

Patrick Beverley, a current player of Rivers’, resorted to social media to criticize Redick and support his coach. Beverley said that Rivers “saved” Redick’s career. Beverley had previously played for Rivers with the Clippers and then reunited with him after being traded by the 76ers to the Bucks on February 8.

As current Milwaukee guard Patrick Beverley said in support of his new coach, Rivers is one of the NBA’s most experienced coaches, having amassed a 1,100-770 record over more than 24 seasons, including a 3-7 record with the Bucks thus far. Rivers also coached Redick from 2013 to 2017.

“This Man Doc actually saved your career,” Bucks veteran Patrick Beverley wrote on X. “Started you when no one else wanted 2. And u retire go on TV and say that.”

Among the NBA’s most accomplished coaches is Rivers. In his extensive coaching career, he has won over 1,000 games including the 2008 NBA title.

The Bucks have a strong overall record of 35-21 as they get ready to play again following the All-Star break. The Celtics are in first position and the Cavaliers are in second place in the Eastern Conference, with Milwaukee in third place.

Rivers’ time with the Bucks hasn’t been great, but there’s still time for him and the team to improve. Despite their third-place standing in the Eastern Conference, he and this team will under immense pressure to go far in the playoffs.

All eyes are on Milwaukee to see if this complex situation works after the team made three significant moves: dealing for Lillard, dismissing Mike Budenholzer to hire Griffin, and now switching to Rivers in the middle of the season.

Redick’s personal encounter with Rivers gave credibility to his remarks on his fellow “First Take” panelists, who anticipated a certain level of accountability.

“I said this, JJ, the second he got the job,” Stephen A. Smith said, “If Doc Rivers — and I’m not talking about this season, because he came in there halfway through — If Doc River between this year and next season, doesn’t win, I think it’ll be his last coaching job in the NBA.”

What is Doc Rivers winning percentage?

Doc had a 1207-869 record in the regular-season and playoffs in his coaching career.
COACH GP W%
Doc Rivers 2,076 .581

How many rings does Doc Rivers have?

Doc’s coaching career included one title victory.

How many finals has Doc Rivers been to?

In his nearly 25 years as a coach, Rivers is merely 111-104 (.516) in the playoffs, with just one championship and two trips to the NBA Finals. Still, he has made the playoffs 19 times and has only missed five.

 

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