Giannis Antetokounmpo believes that things will fall into place for the Milwaukee Bucks with new head coach Doc Rivers, but how can he be so sure of that happening?
The Milwaukee Bucks are 1-3 under new head coach Doc Rivers and barely a .500 since the turn of the calendar. However, this may not be time for the team to panic just yet. After blowing a 19-point lead to the Utah Jazz to cement a third loss in four games, Giannis Antetokounmpo did his best to calm the nerves of the fan base.
Even after the slow start under new head coach Rivers, Giannis believes everything will be "very fine" and work itself out.
""When everything settle down, we are going to be very, very fine, I really do believe. I believe we are trending towards the right direction.""Giannis Antetokounmpo
This may not be what a panicking fanbase wants to hear, but it's certainly the right verbal stance that Giannis, the Bucks' leader, needs to have at the moment. It was never going to be a seamless transition from Griffin to Rivers. There were bound to be some shaky waters early on. And that may very well be what we're seeing here from the Bucks recently.
Sure, it's not a great look for the team to have recent losses against the likes of the Portland Trail Blazers and Utah Jazz. But, at the same time, there has to be some wiggle room for the team moving forward.
It is alarming that since January 1, the Bucks are just 9-9. But that's part of the reason why the team made the decision to move on from Griffin. I'm sure Milwaukee will trade off a couple of rocky weeks for the high ceiling that they now possess with the hiring of Rivers.
But these are the situations where Rivers should thrive most. Rivers may not be considered the best X's and O's coaches in the league, but he has made his hay throughout his career with the way he's been able to manage egos and connect with the players on different levels. It's one of the biggest reasons why he's still one of the most respected coaches in the league.
(Just don't tell Twitter, or X, that).
There may be some bumps in the road. And, at times, the Bucks may look like a mess of a team. However, this was what the team signed up for when they decided to make a head-coaching change mid-season. The fact that Giannis knows this is a process is a good sign.
And if the rest of the team, especially the stars, are on the same page as Giannis, now is not the time to panic. There may be a time in the not-so-distant future for the Bucks to panic. But, for now, this isn't the time. Breathe, Bucks fans, if Giannis believes everything will be fine, odds are they will be.