Bucks GM Jon Horst Didn't Consult Giannis, Other Players Before Adrian Griffin Firing

Milwaukee Bucks general manager Jon Horst told reporters in a Wednesday press conference that he did not consult with players before dismissing head coach Adrian Griffin after just 43 games.

Horst did say that he spoke with players before shootaround Wednesday to discuss the decision.

Griffin was hired this offseason to replace fired head coach Mike Budenholzer. Despite a 30-13 start that put the Bucks in second place in the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee felt the need to make a midseason coaching change.

It's been widely reported that the Bucks will hire Doc Rivers to take over for Griffin. That move has not been made official yet by the team, and Horst said that he would not speak about Rivers Wednesday. For now, Joe Prunty is serving as the Bucks' interim head coach.

As for why the Bucks made the change, Horst called it a "difficult decision" but in essence said the team was not playing up to its lofty potential, especially on the defensive end.

The Bucks haven't met expectations since winning the championship in 2021. Injuries befell the team in the 2021-22 season, leading to an Eastern Conference semifinals exit against the Boston Celtics.

The 2022-23 campaign was a bitter disappointment after the No. 1 seed Bucks became just the third NBA team in league history to lose to a No. 8 seed in the playoffs.

The Miami Heat did engineer a sensational run to the NBA Finals, but the Bucks obviously had higher aspirations. Budenholzer was let go after the season, and Griffin, then a Toronto Raptors assistant, was brought in.

Now Rivers will presumably take over as the Bucks look to chase down the East-leading Celtics, who lead the conference by three-and-a-half games.