Effort is what many preaches about when it comes to basketball. Some say results are affected by the answer to the question of “Who wants it more?” Fans think Milwaukee Bucks will need more of that. However, for Doc Rivers, he does not see it as the main thing.
The Wisconsin organization are currently out of the playoff picture with an 11-16 record and are fresh from one of the worst losses in the team history after getting trashed by the lowly Brooklyn Nets.
The team was made available for interview during Wednesday practice and Rivers was quizzed about his team’s effort. Many would expect him to agree that effort is where everything starts but he does not see that way.
Instead, he took a different route and had a long exchange with Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter Jim Owczarski about things they can control but he is not really sold about it.
“I think people think it’s just that easy and it’s not as easy as it sounds. Life if everybody did that, wouldn’t everybody be good? And play hard every night? I’m serious, it’s not as easy as saying, “You know, guys everybody has to play harder,” Rivers responded.
“Everybody has to have the right emotions. You’re dealing with 15 different individuals and everybody deals with things differently. But the bottom line is, and I’m being honest, we’re not thinking about all that stuff. We’re just trying to be a better basketball team right now. That’s it.”
He ended it by saying that effort is not where things start and basically defended his players. Check the complete exchange below.
Multiple Bucks players have talked about needing to bring a more consistent competitive spirit and effort over the last few days.@JimOwczarski suggested that effort could be an example of a “controllable” that players can control, which led to this exchange with Doc Rivers: pic.twitter.com/ikH2NncXRH
— Eric Nehm (@eric_nehm) December 17, 2025
Fans didn’t like Doc Rivers’ answer
Rivers saying there are other problems to fix is acceptable but some fans are not amused with his answer. They thought they are underdogs and effort is a big deal.
They even invoked Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name as a personification of maximum level effort each game, questioning Rivers’ views.
Your superstar is the most competitive guy in the LEAGUE and you want to be nonchalant / okay with your guys not being competitive every night while at the 10th seed and STRUGGLING to make the play-in?? pic.twitter.com/U337uKgcD3
— Follow HeavenlyBuckets (@Heavenlybuckets) December 17, 2025
So according to Doc the Bucks are not changing the offense, they’re simplifying the defense, and nobody needs to compete harder. What exactly is going to lead to a better on court product then? That simple defense better be awesome I guess. https://t.co/CW6zXtagKG
— Ti Windisch (@TiWindisch) December 17, 2025
Others brought up numbers.
The Bucks led the league in rebounds in 22-23, before Doc joined the team as coach and now they’re dead last. I bet if you asked him, there’s nothing he can do about that either.
— Kevin Kloth (@KevinBKloth) December 18, 2025
This is why this team sucks…Malpractice Doctor makes excuses for himself and the team…they are taking on his nonchalant attitude…he is just a blatantly awful coach…his schemes are just atrocious & antiquated too…
This is the posture of this team… https://t.co/n0VlYHAd7y pic.twitter.com/WBMCBP1SFB
— LeSean Hara (@LeseanHara) December 17, 2025
Yikes
Sounds like Doc wants to be home by Christmas
Let’s “promote him” to the front office and just let Ham take over until the new year https://t.co/BGQXZzfWle pic.twitter.com/T2P0Bt4wCg
— Paul Henning (@brewcitypaul) December 17, 2025
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