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In CBS Rankings of NBA Coaches, Bucks' Doc Rivers Is No. 22 out of 30

In his 25 seasons, Doc Rivers has been coach of the year and won an NBA title. But underachieving seasons in Los Angeles and Philadelphia, plus last year's struggles with the Milwaukee Bucks, have left CBS Sports unimpressed.

Cody Smith

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers reacts in the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic at Fiserv Forum.
Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers reacts in the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic at Fiserv Forum. / Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
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MILWAUKEE — When the Milwaukee Bucks hired Doc Rivers to replace Adrian Griffin as head coach in the middle of the 2023-24 season, they believed they were making an upgrade.

Instead, the Bucks staggered through the rest of the regular season, winning 17 of their 36 games under Rivers. And in the playoffs, with superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo sidelined by injury, the Milwaukee again lost in the first round.

In advance of the 2024-25 NBA season, CBS Sports has ranked the league's 30 coaches. Rivers is No. 22.

The report by CBS Sports' Sam Quinn groups Rivers with Portland's Chauncey Billups, Chicago's Billy Donovan, and Detroit's J.B. Bickerstaff. The verdict on Rivers is harsh.

"Doc Rivers had Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. He had Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. He had Joel Embiid and James Harden. He never reached the conference finals with any of them. It's been a long time since 2008 (the NBA title in Boston). His players clearly like playing for him, and he is perhaps the best job interviewer among current coaches. Owners love him. That's probably how he keeps getting these premium jobs. But he also keeps blowing playoff leads, over-relying on name-brand veterans, punting on offensive rebounds and running predictable offenses. Hiring Doc Rivers looks better in a press release than employing Doc Rivers tends to actually work out on the court."

- Sam Quinn, CBS Sports

To rank each coach, CBS used these factors:

  • Track record. This is obvious. A great coach tends to win a lot of games in the regular season and advance deep into the postseason.
  • Performance against expectations. Sometimes, a great coach is stricken with a limited roster. Can he make lemonade out of those lemons? Some coaches happen to consistently find themselves with elite talent. What does it say about them if they can't make the most of it?
  • Points of emphasis. Do your teams take the right kinds of shots? Do they allow the right kinds of shots? Do you have ways of generating turnovers without excessive fouling? Do you balance rebounding and transition on both ends of the floor? Essentially, is your team doing the right things on paper? Are you plucking the low-hanging fruit?
  • Creativity. Have you found unorthodox uses for under-valued players? Are there things that you do that other coaches don't? Can you draw up a nice out-of-bounds play?
  • Player development. Do your draft picks pan out? Do you find productive players on the margins? Do players leave your team and get better? Do players leave your team and get worse?
  • Rotation management. Are you playing the right players? Are you overusing your best players? Are you underusing them? Do you have specific lineup quirks that help or hurt your team consistently?
  • People management. Do your players like you? Do they play hard for you? Are you operating in lockstep with your GM? Are you constantly battling with ownership? Can you manage the politics of your locker room?

Is Rivers' Rank Reasonable?

In 25 seasons, Doc has coached his share of superstars to little glory. In 20 postseasons, his teams have won two conference titles and one NBA championship. He currently holds the NBA record for most losses in Game 7s — 10 — and his teams have blown three 3-1 series leads.

In his two positions before Milwaukee — with the Los Angeles Clippers (2013-2020) and Philadelphia 76ers (2020-2023) — he couldn't get either team beyond the second round of the playoffs.

Those most recent failures likely colored the CBS rankings, even though Rivers ranks eighth all-time in wins and has been recognized by the NBA as one of the league's 15 greatest coaches.

But if all goes according to plan, Rivers and the Bucks should get another postseason opportunity in 2025.

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Cody Smith

CODY SMITH

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