Doc Rivers shares criticisms of Giannis Antetokounmpo’s recreation − and how he can improve
If you ask Doc Rivers, Giannis Antetokounmpo is in the excellent place to take the next step in his profession.
In the most current episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” Rivers dished on his time with the Milwaukee Bucks, how he navigated the ill-fated Damian Lillard commerce and the highs and lows that came with teaching the Greek Freak.
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“I liked Giannis a lot. I liked him more as a dude,” Rivers informed Simmons. “He’s interesting. He’s not easy. He plays at this crazy downhill pace. He’s really a difficult guy because he has this great passing ability, but he doesn’t necessarily have super IQ at the same time. It’s really a strange thing, and he really has one way. Downhill. Force, force. Every play, he wants to force it.”
The quantity one factor Rivers emphasised was execution. Preparing the proper method and setting his teammates up for success is the space the Hall of Fame coach believes Antetokounmpo fell short in during their time collectively. But now, with Antetokounmpo on the Miami Heat under Erik Spoelstra, Rivers is hopeful that will come to fruition.
“I wish he learned how to execute better,” Rivers said. “He’s one of those guys − you get a lot of them from the U.S., AAU guys − that have never needed to execute because they can do it on their own. But that doesn’t help the team. And I told Giannis this, the thing he needs to still learn is the value of execution. How important it is when you’re in practice and shootarounds to lock in on execution. And now he has a coach who is as good as there is in execution.”
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Signature footwear, uncommon colorways and participant exclusives help NBA stars stand out this season. Take a look at some of the coolest sneakers being worn around the league.
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1 / 25
See the coolest sneakers of the NBA season
Signature footwear, uncommon colorways and participant exclusives help NBA stars stand out this season. Take a look at some of the coolest sneakers being worn around the league.
A close up of the Li-Ning sneakers worn by Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors during their recreation against the Memphis Grizzlies at Chase Center on October 23, 2026 in San Francisco, California.
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Antetokounmpo landed in South Beach this summer season after a blockbuster commerce that put an finish to the long-running standoff between the 10-time All-Star and the Bucks entrance workplace, but it’s been anything but greener pastures early on. The Heat are 3-6 in their first 9 video games despite him averaging 28.3 factors and 12.5 rebounds a night time.
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The Golden State Warriors pulled away from a tie recreation against Miami at halftime to earn a snug 120-100 win Thursday, thanks in no small half to the skill of Draymond Green, Al Horford and Charles Bassey to comprise Antetokounmpo to just one level in seven fourth quarter minutes down the stretch.
