SUMMARY
- Doc Rivers blamed the Bucks medical staff for not observing Giannis Antetokounmpo's injury.
- Rivers wanted Giannis to miss this game since he appeared to be on fumes.
Doc Rivers passed the blame onto the Milwaukee Bucks’ medical team for not getting Giannis Antetokounmpo out of their most recent game earlier. As the majority of NBA fans should be aware, Rivers was hired by the Bucks midway through this season in order to improve their chances of contending for an NBA championship.
However, things have not gone according to plan as the Bucks currently hold a record of 15 wins and 15 losses under Rivers, making them an average team in a competitive NBA. As the team had yet another unexpected loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, Doc Rivers made some statements that have not been taken well by fans.
Giannis Antetokounmpo explains why he wanted to play through the injury
Although Giannis Antetokounmpo appears to be playing at an elite level this season, some may be surprised to hear that he has been performing through a hamstring injury. Since he played big minutes over the past few games, Rivers revealed that he wanted to take Giannis out of the game based how how he was moving and his stamina level. However, Doc let him return since the medical staff had no objection.
Asked Doc Rivers what he saw out of Giannis Antetokounmpo tonight and he said he wished he would have taken Antetokounmpo out of the game in the third quarter. Rivers mentioned seeing Antetokounmpo grab at his left leg.
River’s full response: pic.twitter.com/oeENkDGve7
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 4, 2024
By the time Antetokounmpo returned in the 4th quarter, the game was already slipping out of hand as the Grizzlies orchestrated a comeback and had a lead on the Bucks. While the Greek Freak did his best in order to will his team to victory, the Grizzlies ended up winning this game. In the postgame interview, Giannis discussed playing through injury and opined that facing adversity and moving forward will help him grow.
Asked Giannis Antetokounmpo why he thought it was important to play through the left hamstring tendinopathy that has had him listed on the injury report recently tonight.
Here was his response: https://t.co/enfoUl6WcS pic.twitter.com/jjU6LDbkTm
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) April 4, 2024
Upon hearing the statements made by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Doc Rivers, fans credited Giannis while attacking Doc Rivers for taking Giannis out of the game. In any case, one might wonder if the Bucks had any good moments after hiring Rivers to credit their decision in making him their head coach.
Have the Bucks improved under Doc Rivers?
As far as their record goes, the Bucks have clearly taken a step back and are doing poorly after bringing Doc Rivers onto their team. While he does tend to hand out blame and avoid accountability, fans shouldn’t forget that Milwaukee defeated some of the top teams in the NBA such as the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets while playing for Rivers.