Doc Rivers has been lurking as Bucks replacement coach for weeks

According to a report from The Athletic, Milwaukee hired Rivers as an “informal consultant” to Griffin, not long after the Bucks lost to the Indiana Pacers in the in-season tournament. 

Commissioner Adam Silver should be thrilled to know the Bucks were taking his pet project very seriously.

Now, after a month consulting with Milwaukee’s head coach, Rivers is poised to become Milwaukee’s head coach. Reportedly Rivers is the "preferred choice of key stakeholders,” which likely means ownership, plus stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard all signed off on Rivers.

The Bucks hope Rivers can improve the team's porous defense, which is giving up the sixth-most points in the NBA. He also presumably has the respect of Antetokoumpo, who has criticized the team's effort and defense and argued with his coach this season.

It sets up an interesting dynamic in the East, where Milwaukee's biggest rivals are both former Rivers teams. Rivers won a title during his nine seasons coaching the Boston Celtics, then spent the previous three seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, who lost in the second round each of those seasons.

While he has more wins than all but eight NBA coaches in history (he's only two wins behind Larry Brown), recently Rivers has been known more for playoff failures. 

He's the only coach in NBA history to blow a 3-1 series lead in three different playoffs. Rivers has also been remarkably bad at winning closeout games outside of the first round — he hasn't won one in since 2012. 

That game was immortalized in the 2019 film "Uncut Gems," where Adam Sandler's character wins a longshot bet as the Celtics defeat the 76ers.

Regardless of how Rivers does in Milwaukee, this is a lesson in job security for all NBA coaches. If your team hires a veteran coach as a "mentor" or "consultant," start packing your bags.