Doc Rivers: "Giannis does not have a high basketball IQ"

Former Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers opened up about the difficulties he faced coaching Giannis Antetokounmpo, saying the superstar's playing style made some aspects of team coaching challenging.

Rivers pinpoints tempo and habit of attacking the rim as obstacles

Rivers criticised Giannis for his tendency to attack the basket relentlessly and for not always executing set plays in key moments. "It's not easy to work with him because he plays at an incredible pace and constantly goes straight to the basket. I told someone: he is a great passer, but that doesn't necessarily mean he has an exceptionally high basketball coefficient of intelligence. It's a strange combination," Rivers said.

He added that Giannis mostly operates in a single mode on offense. "For the most part he plays one way: he goes straight to the basket and forces, forces, forces. In every possession he wants to go with power. Sometimes I wished he would execute the agreed plays better," Rivers said.

Rivers compared the Greek star to players from the American AAU youth system, who are used to creating and finishing plays on their own because they were the best players on their teams and therefore had little need for set, well-rehearsed actions.

Addressing Giannis directly, Rivers said he told him to learn the importance of running team plays. "I told Giannis that he still needs to learn how important it is to run the agreed plays. At practice, as well as at the shootaround before a game, you must be completely focused on that. Now he has a coach who is among the best in that area and that is good for him," Rivers said.

Rivers concluded by stressing that individual talent alone cannot carry a team. "A lot of players think: 'I don't need that, I can do it myself.' You can, but for the team to function you must learn to play what is agreed," he said.

Photo: Miami HEAT @MiamiHEAT (X)