Doc Rivers has revealed what surprised him most about Giannis Antetokounmpo when he took over as Milwaukee Bucks head coach, highlighting the forward’s outstanding passing ability.
Rivers discussed his experience coaching the 10-time All-Star during an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast, where he also addressed some of the areas he believes Antetokounmpo needs to improve.
The comments come after Antetokounmpo moved to the Miami Heat following a blockbuster trade that ended his time in Milwaukee.
Doc Rivers was surprised by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s passing ability
Rivers admitted that Antetokounmpo’s vision as a passer stood out when he first started working with him in Milwaukee.
Speaking about the Greek superstar, Rivers said: “He’s an extraordinary passer. That surprised me.
“When I took the job in Milwaukee, wow, he’s got a great vision in that way, right? But with the ball at times, he doesn’t have great feel. You know, he’s an interesting guy to coach and to play with, but if you get it right, he can change your team, and it’s hard to get it right.”
However, Rivers also suggested that Antetokounmpo’s aggressive approach can make him a difficult player to coach.
“He’s not easy. He’s not easy because he plays at this crazy downhill pace. He’s really a difficult guy. I was telling someone this: He has this great passing ability, but he doesn’t necessarily have the super IQ at the same time,” Rivers said.
The former Bucks coach believes execution is the biggest area where Antetokounmpo can improve, particularly during practices and shootarounds.
“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.”
Rivers added that he had previously discussed the issue directly with Antetokounmpo, who now has Erik Spoelstra as his coach in Miami.
The Heat have made a difficult start to the season, sitting at 3-6 through their first nine games despite Antetokounmpo averaging 28.3 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
Miami will hope the forward can help turn things around as he adjusts to his new team and Spoelstra’s system.
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