Early in the 2024-25 NBA season, the Milwaukee Bucks have looked nothing like the Eastern Conference contenders they once were. As far as ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins sees it, their struggles are due to a disconnect between the locker room and head coach Doc Rivers.
Following a win in their season-opening game against the Philadelphia 76ers, the Bucks have lost four consecutive games, all of which have come in double-digit defeats.
Their most recent loss on Thursday night to the Memphis Grizzlies was their worst so far. By halftime, the game was largely non-competitive, with the Grizzlies going into the second half with a 20-point lead.
During the game, Kendrick Perkins took to social media to share his opinion that it looked like Doc Rivers “wants to get back into TV” instead of coaching the Bucks.
Doc looks like he wants to get back into TV…
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) November 1, 2024
Perkins is referring to Rivers’ recent but brief tenure at ESPN, joining the network’s top NBA broadcast team alongside Doris Burke and Mike Breen in the summer of 2023 before ultimately leaving midseason to take the Bucks job this past January.
Five games into the season may be a bit premature for Perkins to make this kind of statement but he defended the take on Friday’s edition of NBA Today.
“Doc had the nerve to use the word spirit,” said Perkins. That the spirit is in the right place. The spirit is not in the right place. Because if it was, you would make sure that everyone would be tied together, stopping the basketball, sprinting back in transition. Look at this, nobody is communicating. These are five veteran players, and Ja Morant throws a Magic Johnson no-look for a wide-open dunk. Here it is again, a couple vets, you should be on [the same] page, a lack of communication. Zach Edey, he’s 7’4”, the world can see him. Wide open lane for a dunk.
“Look at Giannis clapping his hands, Bobby Portis shrugging his shoulders. Now, three-point shot, everybody is supposed to be in a sprint getting back in transition. I want you to watch the Milwaukee Bucks. Look at Doc, he already knows. Everyone is supposed to be sprinting back. I feel sorry for Doc Rivers because he coulda been up here with me on television. But he chose to do that. Doc looks like he wants to be back on TV. Might as well come on over. Because right now your locker room is not hearing you, they are not feeling you. Something is going on and you have to fix the problem.”
.@KendrickPerkins doesn’t like what he’s seeing from Doc Rivers, Giannis, Dame, and the Bucks this season 👀 pic.twitter.com/rosCRjvjFQ
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 1, 2024
Perkins’ relationship with Rivers dates back to his second year as an NBA player during the 2004-05 season, which was Rivers’ first as head coach with the Boston Celtics. So perhaps he does know a little more about Rivers’ mindset compared to his others at ESPN.
Regardless, Rivers will certainly need to turn things around in a hurry if he wants to keep his job. Otherwise, he may be relying on getting that TV job back sooner than later.
