The Milwaukee Bucks made a very shocking move on Tuesday afternoon by firing head coach Adrian Griffin halfway into his first season at the helm. Many Los Angeles Lakers fans are jealous of this swift decision as fans have been calling for the team to make the same move with Darvin Ham all season.
Unlike the Lakers, the Bucks are actually having a good season as Griffin will finish his coaching tenure with a 30-13 record. Something obviously wasn't clicking in Milwaukee and the team had no other choice but to move on from Griffin.
In-season coaching changes for contenders are rare and the list of potential candidates for the Bucks is short. Leading the charge is a surprising name that nobody could have predicted would be coaching the Bucks at the start of the season: Doc Rivers.
Doc Rivers has emerged as a serious candidate to become the Milwaukee Bucks new head coach, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. pic.twitter.com/GveEWIozO3
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 23, 2024
Rivers was let go by the Philadelphia 76ers at the end of last season and has since taken up analyst duties for ESPN. The fact that Milwaukee would want to hire him is surprising, and best of all, it keeps the Lakers from getting any ideas.
Bucks firing Adrian Griffin may save the Lakers from hiring Doc Rivers
While the Lakers' brass is currently showing faith in Ham, there is a nonzero chance that he will get let go if things continue to go poorly for the Lakers. LeBron James and Anthony Davis have the most say of anyone in the organization and if it is time for Ham to go, he will be shown the door.
If Ham were to be fired during the season (or even after the season if the Lakers don't go on a deep run) then the favorite to replace him would undoubtedly be Rivers. Rivers and the Lakers have been flirting with each other for years and if he was fired back in 2022 instead of 2023 then he probably would have been hired over Ham.
Milwaukee falling on the sword and making this hire may save the Lakers from themselves. While Rivers is a big name, he is not someone who the team should realistically hire to replace Ham if he does get the boot.
Rivers has become known for playoff choke jobs and not elevating his teams. His one championship 16 years ago is no longer a shining feather in his cap due to his countless playoff failures. Rivers is known for being a "superstar coach" yet it seems like every superstar dislikes him after he leaves.
The Clippers got better when they replaced Rivers with Ty Lue. The 76ers got better when they replaced Rivers with Nick Nurse. The Lakers would not get better if they replaced Ham with Rivers.
Whether or not Ham gets fired is yet to be seen but as long as Rivers is hired by Milwaukee he won't be a threat for the Lakers' job. That is a saving grace.