After leading his team to victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers with a triple-double of 35 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists, Giannis Antetokounmpo spoke about the sudden firing of coach Adrian Griffin.
Antetokounmpo told the media he was also surprised by Griffin’s sudden firing earlier this week. After leading the Bucks to a 30-12 record, the team made a decision they thought would be ideal for their team in May and June.
“I’ve got to trust the front office. I’ve got to trust the ownership group that they consider the bigger picture,” Antetokounmpo told the media Wednesday.
Point Guard Damian Lillard was not traded to Milwaukee before Griffin was hired and the team’s expectations changed.
“I think it just shows the level of urgency (there) is to win,” Giannis told the media, and that seems pretty evident after this quick-fire.
The front office of the Milwaukee Bucks might have thought that Griffin could face a similar fate as Joe Mazzulla did two years ago when he led the already-built Boston Celtics to the finals against the experienced Golden State Warriors, coached by veteran Steve Kerr. Therefore, the Bucks decided that having Doc Rivers, a coach with NBA Finals experience, would be a better fit for the team.
“Their job is to create the best team possible and the best atmosphere around the team possible that they believe gives us a better chance to win a championship. But yeah, I do think (firing coach Griffin) was a surprise,” the former MVP told the media.
Giannis mentioned that he and Griffin never had any animosity towards each other whatsoever.
“I loved the guy. I invited him to my wedding. I was coached by him, and we did very, very, very well. When somebody is being hired, the GM might come and ask, ‘What do you think about that? What do you think about this?’ or whatever, and not just me – players, people that he trusts their advice. But at times, they make it seem like it’s the players that are making the decision.”
It has been reported by The Athletic that the Milwaukee Bucks players questioned the offensive and defensive schemes of Griffin, whose team is currently in the bottom tier in defensive categories.
This quick fix will either help or hurt this team, and time will tell.
Check out Giannis talking to the media after the game.
"I think it just shows the level of urgency [there] is to win big."
"I trust the ownership decision. … They've never [done] me wrong in the past."#Bucks stars Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo share in-depth reactions to Milwaukee firing Adrian Griffin. #FearTheDeer pic.twitter.com/aDKPrEiyrk
— Bally Sports Wisconsin (@BallySportWI) January 25, 2024
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