When the Milwaukee Bucks fired Adrian Griffin 43 games into this season, many questioned why. After all, the team was 30-13 and in second place in the Eastern Conference. But, reports of the coach having rifts with the players and defensive struggles led to his demise. His replacement would end up being Doc Rivers, leading many to believe things were going to be somewhat better.
It was not. Despite the improvements on defense, the team’s offense would struggle under his rule. Their offensive rating dropped from 118.9 to 115.6 after the all-star break. The team’s pace slowed down for the worse, and the decision to shift away from Giannis Antetokoumpo and his ability to drive to the basket in favor of more jump shots were questionable.
Fast forward to today, and the Bucks were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round by the Indiana Pacers. Yes, Antetokoumpo did not play in the series because of injury, and Damien Lillard missed a few games of his own. Regardless, this was a failed season and part of the blame goes to Rivers and his inability to bring out the best out of the Bucks.
So, Is Rivers’s Replacement On The Way?
At the moment, no. But, there is one appealing option in the Euroleague that the Bucks should chase.
“You are the No. 1 coach, the best. I would love to play for a coach like you.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 26, 2024
Giannis Antetokounmpo had high praise for Ergin Ataman 🙌
(via @karamouza_vas)pic.twitter.com/dPIRhMxetE
If the Bucks had to choose between Giannis and Doc Rivers, we all know the latter is going to be the odd man out.
Anyways, back to the topic. Ergin Ataman is currently the head coach for Panathinaikos Athens, who won the EuroLeague championship against Real Madrid.
What makes this notable is that the club finished in 17th place in 2022. When he arrived, he coached the team to the second seed in the league all the way to winning the biggest prize.
This was his third championship in four years, leading club Anadolu Efes to back-to-back championships in 2021 and 2022. Clearly a winner wherever he goes, why aren’t NBA teams calling him up?
Ataman feels ready for the challenge.
“If the bottom teams of the NBA wonder what is the secret, I’m here. Let them reach out. I shouldn’t explain the secret here. Let them reach out to me. Then, we can get a team from the bottom and carry it to the top over there too. It’s not that hard.
Coach Ataman when asked about his ability to coach a team from the bottom to the top (Eurohoops.net)
He already has Giannis’s backing. The Milwaukee Bucks should hit up his line sooner rather than later. They may have not been at the bottom of the standings like Panathinaikos was. But, he could be the true answer at head coach.
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Featured Image: Luca Sgamellotti/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images
