(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Milwaukee Bucks hit the ground running and wasted no time after parting ways with Adrian Griffin.
They didn’t hesitate to break the bank and spend big bucks to hire Doc Rivers, who had been serving as an advisor to Griffin, to be their next coach.
Now, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the renowned coach has officially made his first staff move.
Doc Rivers is hiring longtime NBA assistant Rex Kalamian for his Milwaukee Bucks coaching staff, sources tell ESPN. Kalamian has been working as a scout with the Nets this season.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 26, 2024
He hired longtime NBA assistant Rex Kalamian — who was a part of his coaching staff with the Los Angeles Clippers — to join his staff.
Kalamian had been working as a scout for the Brooklyn Nets this season, and he’s been in the league for over three decades.
The Bucks were worried about the team’s defensive drop-off from the Mike Budenholzer era.
Even if some regression was due after swapping Jrue Holiday for Damian Lillard, their lack of defensive prowess became a worrisome trend.
More than that, the Bucks had failed to make the most of the Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo duo, and they didn’t look like a legitimate threat to take a contending team the distance in a postseason series, even despite having the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.
It’s also worth noting that Rivers has a long history of postseason failure, and there have always been doubts about his ability to make adjustments to his rotation and tactics.
Then again, he’s also a culture-setter and a player’s coach, and he has the experience this team was craving.
The post Doc Rivers Makes First Coaching Staff Move After Taking Over Bucks appeared first on The Cold Wire.