Doc Rivers on Bucks’ struggles: ‘We haven’t found the right rotation yet’

The Milwaukee Bucks are grappling with the challenge of finding a reliable bench rotation as they navigate a five-game losing streak, highlighted by their recent 114-113 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In a postgame conference Head coach Doc Rivers expressed frustration about the lack of consistency when Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are off the floor.

“We’ve gotta figure that out, that’s on us. We have not found the correct rotation yet, and we have to.” he said
Rivers pointed to the absence of Khris Middleton as a key factor in their bench struggles. Without Middleton, the Bucks lose a versatile option who can adapt to different lineups, which has made experimenting with small-ball rotations particularly difficult.
“The small lineup is more designed with Khris [Middleton], but we don’t have Khris,” Rivers explained.

“I still thought it gave us some punch, some speed, but there’s some negatives to that too that we saw.” he added.

Attempting to inject pace and energy, Rivers tried a smaller lineup during the third quarter against Cleveland.

“I do like going small a little bit like we did in the third,” Rivers shared, referencing his approach to boost the team’s speed and offensive dynamism.
However, he acknowledged that the lack of ideal personnel limited the effectiveness of this strategy.

“We don’t have the right guys to do that obviously,” he noted, highlighting the need for players who could fully execute the small-ball plan.

As the Bucks work to halt their losing streak, Rivers emphasized that his coaching staff will continue testing different rotations.

“We’re just going to keep searching for that,” he said.
The Milwaukee Bucks have dropped to a 1-5 record after six games, placing them last in the Eastern Conference.