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Report details why the Milwaukee Bucks gave Adrian Griffin the pink slip

A myriad of reasons led to Adrian Griffin’s firing.

Jonas Panerio

© Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

While the Milwaukee Bucks' firing of head coach Adrian Griffin stunned the NBA world, insiders reveal that the development had been brewing behind the scenes for a while, with The Athletic reporting that the decision "was borne out of months of underwhelming play, with internal concerns growing about the severe decline of their once-elite defense, the flawed use of newcomer Damian Lillard alongside franchise centerpiece Giannis Antetokounmpo and a widespread fear that this group, which was widely expected to contend for a title, was likely to fall short if they stood pat."

On Tuesday morning, the Bucks' front office, led by general manager Jon Horst, finally pulled the trigger, giving Griffin the pink slip and temporarily handing the reins to assistant coach Joe Prunty.

Internal skepticism began in December

Skepticism regarding Griffin's ability to lead a team that only had one goal in mind—to win the NBA championship—grew as early as the In-Season Tournament in December when the Bucks made it to the semifinals but lost to the upstart Indiana Pacers. Despite their 15-6 record then, Bucks' brass sensed trouble was afoot and decided to tap Doc Rivers as an informal consultant to Griffin.

"Per league sources, the organization believed Rivers, a 24-year NBA head coach, and NBA champion, may be able to offer Griffin advice and guidance on how to navigate his first NBA season with high expectations and a championship-caliber team in their Las Vegas session," a report penned by insiders Shams Charania, Sam Amick, and Eric Nehm read.

Things came to a boiling point in January

The heat in the kitchen became too hot for Griffin to handle as the Bucks struggled in January, compiling a 6-5 record that included stunning losses to the Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, and the Cleveland Cavaliers—teams that should have been easy wins on paper.

"Team sources say, players began to question Griffin's schemes on both sides of the floor and the strategy that was being laid out for them each night," the report continued.

"While players were willing to be patient with Griffin as he learned on the job because of the team's vast personnel changes at the start of the season, their questions grew more significant as the team failed to show substantial growth at the midway point of the season."

The Bucks' struggles on the defensive end were more profound under Griffin. The team ranks 22nd in defensive rating, giving up 120.5 points per game. Milwaukee's defense had been so bad that Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo went on an extended tirade following their loss to the Rockets.

"Now, defensively, we have to have a plan," Giannis said.

"What is our strategy? Are we going to give a lot of open 3s? Are we going to let them get in the paint? When they go in the post, are we going to stay with ours and play one-on-one? What is our strategy?"

Ultimately, Griffin's ability to lead the Bucks to the promised land became too big of a question for the organization to ignore.

"The bottom line, given the high stakes of this Bucks era, the concern over Griffin's ability became a question too big for the Bucks' executive leadership to withstand any longer," the report revealed.

The Milwaukee Bucks unexpectedly fire head coach Adrian Griffin

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Jonas Panerio
JONAS PANERIO