USA TODAY Sports

"He didn't get a chance" - Ex-NBA player Jamal Crawford disagrees with the firing of Adrian Griffin

Originally posted on FanNation Bucks Zone
By Matthew Dugandzic | Last updated 1/25/24

Adrian Griffin got the short end of the stick when he was fired as coach of the Milwaukee Bucks this early in the season, a former NBA player said.

Jamal Crawford disagreed with the dismissal, saying that his fellow former NBA player didn’t get a chance to really prove his worth. Griffin’s firing was even more frustrating for Crawford as it came while the Bucks were occupying the second spot in the Eastern Conference with a 30-13 record.

Too early to judge Griff

“I don’t like it to be honest with you. Just the fact that he interviewed for 14 different coaching jobs, he gets one. They have a better record than they did at this point last year,” said Crawford in an episode of NBA on TNT.

Despite having two elite scorers in Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo and the able support crew of Brook Lopez, Khris Middleton, and Bobby Portis Jr., there had been stretches in the season where the Bucks were awfully bad.

Milwaukee started the year losing four of their first five games but has managed to restore order by winning five of their last six games. Regardless of how the Bucks have been playing in the early part of the season, it was too early to judge Griffin as the team’s bench tactician, said Crawford.

Griff didn’t get his chance

“And let’s be honest, the Bucks aren’t going to be judged on the regular season anyway. This is a team trying to go to finals. They’re going to be judged on their postseason success,” said Crawford.

Crawford added that it was more unfair that Griffin was denied a chance that he could bring the Bucks to the Promised Land.

“He didn’t get a chance at that and for me that’s disheartening because he took so long to get this opportunity, he gets it, he does well with it. They have the third-best record in the league, period. And for him to get fired, I don’t like that part of it,” Crawford concluded.

This article first appeared on FanNation Bucks Zone and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: