Milwaukee Bucks fire Coach Adrian Griffin after 43 games

Milwaukee Bucks head coach Adrian Griffin was fired after just 43 games, despite having one of the league's top records midway through his first season.

“This was a difficult decision to make during the season,” Bucks general manager Jon Horst said in a statement announcing the move. “We are working immediately toward hiring our next head coach. We thank Coach Griffin for his hard work and contributions to the team.”

The team is currently tied for the league's second-best record with 30-13 and are 3 1/2 games behind the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference.

The dip in Milwaukee's defensive performance raised concerns about the team's viability as a championship contender even after they acquired seven-time all-NBA guard Damian Lillard before the season to team up with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks rank 22nd in the NBA in defensive rating — down from fourth a year earlier — despite having two of the NBA's top defenders in Antetokounmpo and 7-footer Brook Lopez.

Coach Adrian Griffin had given his first head coaching job last summer after firing Mike Budenholzer, who led the Bucks in 2021 to their first title in half a century. The Bucks had posted the most combined regular-season and playoff wins of any team during Budenholzer's tenure and had the league's best regular-season record in three of his five seasons on the job.

Adrian Griffin, 49, had spent 16 seasons as an NBA assistant, including the last five with the Toronto Raptors, and a nine-year NBA playing career. An early warning sign regarding Griffin's tenure came before the season with the abrupt departure of assistant coach Terry Stotts, who had more than 1,000 games of head coaching experience.

 

Source: DKlassgh.net