The Spurs dodged a Giannis bullet if Doc Rivers is right about his basketball IQ (but is he?)

This may be a case of "right message, wrong messenger," but Doc Rivers set the NBA internet ablaze with some pretty disrespectful comments about one of the greatest players of this generation. Giannis Antetokounmpo has two MVPs, a Finals MVP, and a Defensive Player of the Year trophy to his name, but Rivers had some damning things to say about the star once rumored as a Spurs possibility.

"He’s really a difficult guy. He has this great passing ability, but he doesn’t necessarily have super IQ at the same time. He really has 1 way. Every play he wants to force it." - Doc Rivers on the Bill Simmons Podcast

Now, Doc has a reputation for not taking responsibility for his failures. He's never been shy about calling out one of his players in the media during a season, and his criticisms don't end when he leaves a franchise. Current Lakers coach JJ Redick has a famous rant about Rivers' lack of accountability, and he's not the only one to call the 2008 Celtics champion out for it.

But instead of piling onto Doc for living up to who he's always been, I have a different question: Is there any merit to what the newly enshrined Naismith Hall of Fame coach had to say?

Doc Rivers has a point about Giannis' game

Many of us have watched Giannis for his entire career. He's always only ever played one way, even before he had the strength to bully his opponents the way he can now. That playing style won him a championship and several accolades, but it's also fair to wonder if it's played a role in his lack of availability in recent years.

The Greek Freak has dealt with several injuries that have cost him significant time during the regular season. He's missed playoff games or been significantly compromised in them, leading to early exits.

There's no doubt that Antetokounmpo is an all-time great, but his brute-force style has consistently been countered in the postseason by teams who figured out how to keep him out of the paint. Other than 2021, when he made it all the way, he's only been to the conference finals once. The rest of his playoff experiences end in the first or second round—mostly the first.

Giannis' fit with Wemby was never guaranteed to work

How would a pairing with Victor Wembanyama work, knowing the amount of space we know he and San Antonio's downhill guards need? He's landed in Miami, and the partnership with Bam Adebayo looks horrendous right now. They're 3-6. Obviously, Bam isn't Wemby, but the concept of needing room to operate isn't unique to the Spurs' superstar.

In Giannis' defense, he knows his strengths and weaknesses. Not allowing yourself to play a style that doesn't serve you or doesn't take advantage of your very dominant skills is an exhibit of high IQ in itself. However, I'd argue that rigidity can be challenging for a coach who wants to do something different.

At the end of the day, I think Doc was out of line for criticizing Giannis' IQ, but I do think the former Bucks centerpiece plays a style of basketball that doesn't fit everywhere. It wouldn't have fit in San Antonio, either—not without Mitch Johnson revamping the system to suit GA's needs. Even then, it wouldn't have been guaranteed to work. Not all great players fit together.

The Spurs already have a North Star, though. Everything revolves around Wemby, so things are as they should be. The front office was right not to get involved in the Giannis sweepstakes. Sometimes the best move is no move. That's a lesson they've taught us consistently.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow