Bucks preach patience after Nuggets spoil Doc Rivers’ debut

DENVER — Before Doc Rivers took off for his first game as coach of the Milwaukee Bucks Monday night in Denver, he was already emphasizing the need for patience.

For the first time in his 25-year coaching career, Rivers takes over a team midseason, a challenge he said “he wouldn't wish on anyone.” Meanwhile, the Bucks are adjusting to a whole new voice in the group after first-year coach Adrian Griffin was replaced by Rivers.

“It’s going to take a minute,” Rivers said before Monday’s 113-107 loss to the Nuggets. “What I’m trying to do very slowly is incorporate some of my stuff and simplify some of their stuff.

“One thing you don't want to do and we're so afraid to do it is cripple their brain and now they're thinking about it. So it's just going to take a while.”

Denver spoiled Rivers' coaching debut with a loss, dropping him to 1-4 career in his first game with a new team, but the Bucks were still encouraged by one of their most inspired defensive efforts in the season.

They held the Nuggets, one of the league's most prolific offenses, to 113 points, forcing two-time MVP Nikola Jokic to take 25 shots to score 25 points – although he still finished with a triple double with 16 rebounds and 12 assists. Jamal Murray added 35 points.

But it was an improvement over a Bucks team that ranks 24th in the league in defensive efficiency, prompting Rivers to joke that “the cat's out of the bag” now that the Bucks proved they could play defense.

“I told our guys that anyone who told you you couldn't play defense was lying,” Rivers said after the game. “You proved it tonight. You competed tonight. … Our half-court defense was great. I think tonight was a loss offensively. I didn't think we were accurate offensively.

“Dame and Giannis have played 40 games together in their lives, Joker and Murray have played – you know? And if you look at the game tonight, they did it, our guys couldn't do it and it was the difference.”

Damian Lillard finished with 18 points on 5-of-13 shooting, and Giannis Antetokounmpo had 29 points and 12 rebounds. Antetokounmpo was pleased with the way the Bucks played in their first game under Rivers, but also preached the need to be patient in the learning process.

“He was great,” Antetokounmpo said of Rivers. “Everyone has to be patient. It's new – the way we play, the way we defend, it's going to take some getting used to. We're adapting slowly, slowly, changing a few things .The coaching staff must have “Patience with the players. The players had to be patient with the technical staff, but I have the impression that for the first match, it was good. “

The improved intensity on defense was a direct sign to Antetokounmpo of how players were responding under Rivers.

“At the end of the day, the game plan is one thing, but our efforts [has] You always have to be there,” he said. “We have very, very intelligent players in the team and sometimes when the game plan is not as precise, sometimes our efforts may not be on target. date and it's not good.

“We can't just choose. For example, to win you have to do it all the time. There will be times when you lose matches, but to win at a high level you have to be a standard. And today Today I think we set the standard as a team.

Rivers takes over the Bucks in the middle of a five-game, nine-day road trip, an opportunity to get to know his new team on the road. He's considering longer shooting sessions and perhaps a few more days of practice than usual to help players get up to speed on the adjustments he wants them to make.

With 35 games remaining on the Bucks' schedule before the playoffs, Rivers takes the reins knowing that all of this can't be solved in one day. But the subtle adjustments with an experienced leader at the helm are already getting Bucks players to buy into the process.

“I thought there was just a great sense of composure, calmness,” Bucks center Brook Lopez said of Rivers’ first day as coach. “Nothing too high or too low. I mean that in the best way possible. He handled everything very well. He did a good job making sure everyone was clear on their responsibility, what to do defensively, what do offensively, and there were “There are no real hiccups.

“He did a good job making sure everyone was on the same page from the start.”