The Milwaukee Bucks have turned the tables around after a miserable start.
As one of the league’s title heavyweights, the Bucks absorbed league-wide scrutiny, speculation, and monitoring after their season beginnings. With a horrendous 2-8 record, Milwaukee found itself the talk of the town in which many rumblings around potential Giannis Antetokounmpo trades were formed and scattered.
But since then, the Bucks have completed a dramatic bounce back and are finally back on track in fulfilling their truest potential. For that, Patrick Beverley is wondering about where the critics and naysayers of Doc Rivers have gone already.
Of all the people who endured the blame during the Bucks’ early season struggles, it was Rivers who shouldered the biggest load.
Many fans and critics have ripped Rivers in the midst of Milwaukee’s slow start. Knowing the seasoned mentor’s polarizing demeanor, he was instantly identified as the reason by many for the Bucks’ poor performance.
Yet after a few weeks had passed, Doc and the Bucks gradually climbed their way back to the win column. They have gone 14-11 since their horrible first 10 games and are now sitting at the No. 6 spot in the Eastern Conference.
“I haven’t heard any Doc Rivers slander at all lately,” Beverey said in the recent episode of his Pat Bev Podcast. “I hear zero talk about the Milwaukee Bucks and how they are not good.
“They [media] are not even giving them credit for it. … They literally picking other people talking about their player of the month.”
It’s simply intriguing how the narratives have shifted instantly for both Rivers and the Bucks. From being the main targets of league rumors, they now have defied the odds and are in a solid position to get even better as the season progresses.
As it is, Rivers deserves plenty of credit for keeping Milwaukee afloat despite their rough start. While the majority are talking about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s another MVP-caliber campaign that undoubtedly carries the Bucks’ current surge, the Bucks mentor should also get his flowers as well for his stellar leadership and management.
With Doc’s guidance, the Bucks have smoothly followed. As a result, they are now in the mix amongst the East’s contenders and are on the cusp of potentially winning the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup.
Related Posts
