Date of Doc Rivers' head-coaching debut with Bucks revealed

The Bucks fired their previous head coach Adrian Griffin earlier this week. Rivers was announced as his successor shortly thereafter — a move that may have been brewing for weeks.

The Bucks have split the two games since Griffin’s firing. Veteran assistant Joe Prunty will serve as the interim head coach for the third and final game on Saturday against the New Orleans Pelicans before Rivers takes over.

Rivers will have the unorthodox challenge of commandeering a contender midway through the season. NBA coaches typically integrate their systems and plays during training camp and only make tweaks here and there as the season rolls along. Rivers will be tasked with doing everything on the fly for a Bucks team with clear title aspirations.

It’s not impossible for a team to win a championship after making a midseason coaching change. In 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers famously fired head coach David Blatt in favor of Tyronn Lue. They ended up winning the title in June.

However, Lue was already in the Cavs’ building as a respected assistant in Cleveland. He was familiar with the strengths, weaknesses, and personalities of the team.

Rivers joins a Bucks squad with a completely clean slate. While undoubtedly a huge challenge, Rivers’ new situation allows him to try to rewrite the disparaging narrative that’s surrounded him of late.