Adrian Griffin Released As Head Coach 43 Games Into The Season

[00:00:00] On this episode of The Bucks Beat, we're gonna talk about the Bucks parting ways with Adrian Griffin. I have the tarot cards out, I saw this happening. Let's get into it. I'm Ryan Productions.com. And now, here's your host, Michael Edwards. Welcome to The Bucks Beat.

[00:00:42] I'm your host, Michael Edwards. I'm not gonna lie. I'm a little shocked that the Bucks pull the trigger on this one. I have been saying this for quite a while. I've got the receipts to prove it.

[00:00:53] I think anyone who is a hardcore Bucks fan and even some casual Bucks fans kind of saw this when coming. The writing was on the wall. In this episode we're just gonna kind of get into what took place.

[00:01:05] What is happening going forward and what are the next steps? That's kind of the details here. In case you're believing in a cave, the Bucks have parted ways with coach, now former coach, Adrian Griffin he's gone. So they're sitting second in the east.

[00:01:19] He took over in June of 2023, succeeding Mike Boonehoser, coach Biden as we call him. We're gonna talk about him in a second actually, but so for now, coach Joe Prunti, the assistant is going to be named the intern head coach.

[00:01:33] And this is the second time this is actually ever happened to him. Because I believe when Jason Kid was fired, Joe Prunti took over the intern head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. It's crazy how that works, right? Full circle.

[00:01:47] So the main issue here is after the Bucks have been one of the best defenses for the last five seasons. And I talked about this in the last podcast too. It's been a start contrast for the Bucks to struggle on defense.

[00:01:59] It's like seeing the packers not make the playoffs, right? Take that bears and Vikings fans. But it's true. Starting off this year, calendar year at least with 11 games in January, the Bucks have surrendered a 121 points per 100 possessions. That's really awful. Ranking 27th in the league on defense.

[00:02:21] So on the offensive side, they're doing great. And that's fine. And you know, they obviously need to get credit for that. But let's just be honest, this has been streetball the whole time. There's been no coaching. There's been no leadership.

[00:02:34] And that was one of the things I've been ranting about the last few podcasts. So to see it happen now, I'm not going to have to make him have to the Bucks up our management. John Horst, you're the man. You're the man.

[00:02:46] He's the one stirring the ship our general manager and he is. He doesn't play and I appreciate that with him. The Bucks released a statement. Here's their statement. This was difficult decision to make during the season. We were working immediately toward hiring our next coach.

[00:02:59] We thank Coach Griffin for his hard work and contributions to the team at the official statement. Bucks next game is Wednesday, which would be as we're recording this tomorrow against the Cleveland Caves. I believe that games at home, the Pfizer form.

[00:03:13] I've noticed kind of the comments coming out of the locker rooms. Nobody ever talks about coaching if you're a player. You stay away from that. And if you do say something, it's complimentary. So even if you're mentioning like when Janice had his rant,

[00:03:31] I mean, this is just my take on this. I don't know anything. But I think they've been pretty pissed off for a while on this coaching staff. I really do. And there's rumors out there about coach and the internals,

[00:03:45] you know, but I'm not going to talk about those on this podcast because credibility matters and there's no proof of it. But in the internet, you know, the internet's going to internet too. So you can't believe everything you read out there.

[00:03:57] What I do know is, according to League sources, the Milwaukee Bucks have started discussions with Doc Rivers to become the new head coach. So he is the front runner, according to League sources. We can speculate on other names, but that's what's being reported right now.

[00:04:13] And League sources also say that Warriors is just in coach Kenny Adkinson who was the runner up to Griffin when he's at the office isn't happened. He's also a candidate as well if they're unable to secure rivers. So it sounds like those are the two names being floored

[00:04:28] around according to sources and that's a key point because there's a couple things we can talk about here. Let's go back to the report of a verbal argument between Terry Stots and Adrian Griffin. Now I don't want to get into like TMZ stuff, okay? But it had happened.

[00:04:49] And it's reported, there was an argument. And Stots left after that. That's has a good basketball IQ. I definitely think he's probably a better coach than Adrian Griffin. So he left now League sources say Stots who was Lillard had coach in Portland first first nine seasons there.

[00:05:07] Him and Griffin never really saw eye to eye. So right away, you know, and I know, I don't know him personally, but I know of Terry Stots and I may have met him. He seems like a pretty chill dude.

[00:05:18] You know, I'm saying so the fact that he laughed with a little bit of a red flag and I, I told that to a lot of the people that I talked basketball with him like, yeah, it seems kind of weird. Talk to that one away. Okay?

[00:05:32] I really believe that Stots leaving was a huge set back for the box coaching leadership because Griffin was a rookie head coach. I mean, have all the experience you want when you're in the hot seat, it's like anything we near in the seat.

[00:05:47] You can't play a back seat driver anymore. You're the one driving the bus and Griffin just couldn't get it done. Nothing to say about his character as a person. Nothing to say about him as a man. None of that. He just was in over his head.

[00:05:59] The box never really found their identity. You know, going to the in season tournament. I was at that game. I talked about that. My experience going to that game. The final five minutes, the box should have won that game.

[00:06:10] This box team that we've come to know over the last five years, they win that game. They make it to the in season tournament finals against the makers. They make it there. The last five minutes, you could see everything unraveling there.

[00:06:24] The bottom line here is given the high stakes of this box team and their championship window reports are coming out. The concern over Griffin's ability to become a leader. They couldn't ignore it anymore. They had to make a move right now.

[00:06:39] And you know, because all season long, the box has struggled on the defense of the floor and you never sell it on a coach bud with a few exceptions. Obviously, you know, the heat last year, we got torched and you got to put that one on a coach.

[00:06:54] It's like breaking up with someone and then, you know, nine months later, you go out near in my case, you see her and you're like, oh, man, she looks good. I said, I'm a steak. That's going to how I feel about the box here with coach bud is

[00:07:09] they have all the offensive firepower they could want. I mean, they're going to do what they're going to do. I don't know that he had that when he was coach here, but defensively man, do they need someone who knows what they're doing?

[00:07:21] And as I choose day morning, the box rank overall 20 second defensive rating, allowing a 116th point, 8 points per 100 presessions. I'm just frustrated with this team and this is what needed to happen. It can't even imagine when it's like internally, you know,

[00:07:36] the good news here is the box are four games behind the Celtics. It doesn't matter really where you're seated. Obviously, if you have to play on the road, you make it to that series of any of the plan that we're divorced and it's fine for game seven

[00:07:49] if you make it that far. I just feel like this team was given enough time. And I think we did it was it, I think I saw it's 43 games into this season. That's more than enough time.

[00:08:00] They never looked like the team that I know they're capable of being. So I'm hoping that they become that team. I think they have it in them. I mean, these got these are good men on the team. They get along really well.

[00:08:12] I just feel like the coach, he just didn't fit and time to go. So not much more to say about this really is, you know, it's probably going to be doc rivers. I can't imagine him saying no, you know, he's obviously a Milwaukee legend being a market.

[00:08:29] Well, now golden eagle, but back then they were the warriors. You know, his name is a retired up in the rafters there from his time at Marquette. And I'll be honest with you, I don't know anything about Kenny at Kinsen. I don't know anything about him.

[00:08:41] I think bringing in a rookie head coach. I mean, this is the report coming out, but I also heard ESPN reporting the box one of veteran. So my mind, my money goes to, I mean, doc rivers, I guess, is okay.

[00:08:54] He's definitely an upgrade from our last coach seeing some of his failures that has recent 10 years, you know, it's a little troubling. I'm not going to lie because he did have the roster to get, get it done. He didn't.

[00:09:06] So that does concern me a little bit there, but you know, you also have Terry Stotz as a potential name. I mean, I don't know if they would call coach Budback. I have no idea. I wouldn't be opposed to it.

[00:09:19] You know, hey, we've all come in analogy I used before. We've all a lot of us at least have broken up with someone and gotten back together with them and realized, you know, I was wrong.

[00:09:29] I can live with it if we get where we need to go and this team needs to look like a team. And it just, it's streetball. It's what it is. I mean, you're struggling to, you know, win games against back to back games against the Detroit pistons.

[00:09:44] Not taking anything away from the pistons, but with our roster, we should be stomping them and we're not. So we'll see what happens. Bucks have a back to back against the Cleveland Cavaliers. And the last time Cleveland played us, they beat the crap out of us. 135 to 95.

[00:10:01] And that was just six days ago. Anything changes I will record a podcast I'll post it right away. The details. I appreciate you. Thanks for listening. We'll see you on the next one.