Doc Rivers Praises Giannis, Bucks Response to His Coaching in Debut: 'They're Adults'

Doc Rivers' debut as head coach for the Milwaukee Bucks was unsuccessful with a 113-107 loss to the Denver Nuggets, but he's optimistic about the long-term outlook for this team going forward.

Speaking to reporters after the game (starts at 1:25 mark), Rivers said the response from Bucks players to his coaching was "great" and "they're adults" who are "very coachable."

Before the game, Rivers acknowledged it's "going to take a minute" to fully implement his style of play because he doesn't want to overload the players with information right away.

"One thing you don't want to do and we're so fearful of doing it is paralyzing their brain and now they're thinking it," he said. "So it's just going to take a while."

Monday night marked Rivers' official debut with the Bucks after he was hired as their head coach on Jan. 26. He took over for Adrian Griffin, who led the team to a 30-13 record when he was fired on Jan. 23.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had a strong outing with 29 points and 12 rebounds in 37 minutes. Damian Lillard is still trying to find his shooting form after putting up 18 points on 5-of-13 shooting. He's shooting just 39.8 percent overall and 30.8 percent from three-point range in 19 games since Dec. 21.

One of the biggest issues Milwaukee had under Griffin was defense. The unit ranked 21st in the NBA in defensive rating, but that mark fell down to 29th in the final 15 games of Griffin's tenure.

While it was only one game, there were positive signs to take away from the Bucks defense against the Nuggets. They held the defending NBA champs to 4-of-18 shooting from three-point range.

Nikola Jokić wasn't exactly held in check with a triple-double of 25 points, 16 rebounds and 12 assists, but he only shot 10-of-25 from the field.

The primary issue is the one that's been prevalent all season: Their guards struggle to defend. Jamal Murray and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope combined for 47 points on 18-of-31 shooting.

As long as the Bucks are starting Lillard and Malik Beasley, that will continue to be a problem. Their hope is that Rivers will be able to find enough adjustments so it doesn't ruin their chances of competing for a title when the postseason begins.