Milwaukee Bucks head coach Doc Rivers. Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

All eyes will be on Doc Rivers in first-round matchup vs. Pacers

By Adam Taylor | Last updated 4/20/24

The Milwaukee Bucks will face the Indiana Pacers in the opening round of the NBA playoffs. Giannis Antetokounmpo could miss most of the series after suffering a calf injury when playing against the Boston Celtics on April 9. Veteran head coach Doc Rivers will be in the limelight without his star player.

Rivers joined the Bucks midway through the season. Milwaukee released Adrian Griffin midway through his first season with the franchise. Rivers' championship experience likely drew Milwaukee's front office to him. According to 17-year NBA veteran Eddie Johnson, who spoke via NBA Dash Radio on Sirius XM, all eyes will be on Rivers in the coming weeks.

"He's gonna be judged heavily on how he coaches in this series," Johnson said. "How he he makes changes. How he attacks certain people. How he gets the best out of guys that are gonna be in the lineup, playing starters minutes. How is gonna keep them engaged. With Giannis out, it makes them a short team...All those things that Doc didn't have to think about if he had Giannis, he's gonna have to."

“How does he make changes? How does he attack certain people…[etc]”@JumpShot8 talks with @TermineRadio about the questions that will surround the Bucks’ head coach while Giannis is out of the lineup. pic.twitter.com/iOVn96zbf1
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) April 20, 2024

The Bucks still have Damian Lillard. The All-Star guard has experience with leading an underdog roster in the postseason. His presence should ensure Rivers' team has a puncher's chance against anyone. However, Milwaukee can't viewed as a contender unless Giannis is in the rotation.

As such, Milwaukee needs to tread water until its star player returns. Rivers needs to prove that he's still among the best coaches in the NBA, and he does that by making the Bucks difficult to beat. The Pacers are a tough matchup to open the playoffs against. They've beaten Milwaukee on four occasions this season. Rivers must guide his team into the latter postseason rounds to achieve the bare minimum of expectations. A second first-round exit for the Bucks would be disastrous.

Johnson is right; all eyes will be on Rivers. The next few weeks will shape how we view his early tenure with Milwaukee.

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