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Doc Rivers admits the Milwaukee Bucks have to find an identity: "We gotta find what are we, who are we"

Doc Rivers tackles the question of the Milwaukee Bucks' identity.

Jonas Panerio

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As veteran coach Doc Rivers takes over the leadership mantle of the Milwaukee Bucks, one of the first things on his to-do list is to help the team establish its identity. During his introductory press conference, Rivers openly admitted that the Bucks need to figure out "what are we, who are we," to succeed in the highly competitive landscape of the NBA.

Taking over from former head coach Adrian Griffin, Rivers brings a wealth of experience and knowledge. He has coached for over two decades and led teams like the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Los Angeles Clippers to multiple playoff appearances. With his impressive coaching resume, it's no surprise that Rivers is expected to impact the Bucks' performance significantly.

Do opposing teams still fear the deer?

Although the Bucks hold a 32-14 record, there has been a growing notion that teams aren't afraid to take it to the Bucks, no thanks to their porous defense, which is one of the worst in the entire league. While Milwaukee's ferocious defense was their calling card in the past few seasons, it has been a different story this year. Opposing teams have found ways to expose Milwaukee's weaknesses and have capitalized on them.

"Well, I think we have to find our identity. That was more the message. Like if you're gonna have 'Fear the Deer,' you gotta fear the deer, you know? You know what I mean? But our identity right now – and I asked them, 'Who are we?' You know, when a team is connected, and they got it, they'll give you an answer. We don't have an answer yet," Rivers said.

New journey

Rivers added that even though the Bucks have kept most of their core players, they must still find a new identity instead of holding on to past success. The Bucks have been one of the NBA's elite squads over the past few years, consistently making it to the playoffs and winning it all in 2021. However, with new teams emerging and players stepping their games up, they are facing an uphill climb to maintain their status as a top team.

"We gotta find what are we, who are we. Every year, you're on a new journey. We have five guys here – I think it's five – who have won a title, and I mean the players. We have to make sure they understand that we want to do a lot of what they did, but you can't go on the same journey," Doc added.

"Every year, the journey's different, even if the same guys came back with the same coach and everything, that journey's different. We have to figure out who we're gonna be and the type of journey that we need to go on to get what we want."

Doc Rivers to sign a four-year deal with the Milwaukee Bucks

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO