Doc Rivers says coaching Giannis is ‘not easy’

CLEVELAND, OHIO - NOVEMBER 17: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks talks with head coach Doc Rivers during the first half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on November 17, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images) | Getty Images

On the most recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, former Bucks coach Doc Rivers shared insight into the challenges he experienced coaching Giannis, saying it’s “not easy.”

“He plays at this crazy downhill pace,” Rivers said. “He has this great passing ability, but he doesn’t necessarily have super IQ at the same time. It’s really a strange thing.

“The thing he needs to learn is the value of execution… Now he has a coach who’s as good as there is at execution.”

Doc Rivers

“He really has one way—downhill. Force, force, force. Every play, he wants to force it. I wish he learned how to execute better. He’s one of those guys who has never needed to execute, because they can do it on their own. But that doesn’t help the team.

“The thing he needs to learn is the value of execution. How important it is when you’re in practice and shootaround to lock in on execution. Now he has a coach who’s as good as there is at execution.”

Now, I also want to note that Rivers made it clear on the podcast that he loved Giannis as a person and a player, and enjoyed coaching him in general, but that his process was flawed in a few key areas.

On the one hand, Rivers’ comments lined up with many of my own critiques of Giannis’ game over the years. Namely, he needed to learn to contribute without the ball in his hands and, as Rivers said, understand the value of execution.

On the other hand, it’s frustrating that the former Bucks coach had all these pointers for Giannis but apparently couldn’t get him to put most of them into practice? Like, you’re the coach. That is quite literally your job!

I don’t know. Maybe he did try, but by then Giannis’ bad habits were so deeply ingrained that it was futile. Maybe there was a top-down directive to placate the two-time MVP at every stop so he wouldn’t request a trade. No idea.

Speaking of the org’s fear of Giannis asking out, Simmons also criticised the historic waive-and-stretch of Damian Lillard’s max contract to free up enough cap space to sign Myles Turner, labelling the move “desperate.”

“When I look back on that whole situation, Giannis wanted out, but he didn’t want to be the bad guy.”

Doc Rivers

“You know now that you should have traded Giannis that summer,” Simmons said. “They (the front office) just weren’t ready to do it.”

“I don’t think Giannis helped with that either, though, in Jon’s defence,” Rivers replied. “I thought Giannis kept yo-yo-ing.

“When I look back on that whole situation, Giannis wanted out, but he didn’t want to be the bad guy.

“He wanted Jon and Wes (Edens) to say, ‘We’re trading you,’ instead of him asking for a trade. To me, that was the game that was being played.”

Overall, I didn’t think anything Rivers said was false or out of line; Giannis is a superhuman athlete and the most talented basketball player I’ve ever watched, but he is also a flawed thinker of the game. By the same token, Rivers obviously lacks accountability for the role his own actions played in the Bucks’ downfall, but let’s be honest, that’s par for the course with him.

How did you take Rivers’ comments, Bucks fans?