The regular season is nearly finished and the Milwaukee Bucks are a team that already knows they won't be contending in the playoffs. 

Their most recent game, a 130-99 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, is another example of the state of the season, but the lopsided score isn't something that bothers head coach Doc Rivers anymore. 

Instead, Rivers is turning his sights to next season and looking for signs of progress for his young players in hopes that they develop into more of their full potential next season.

AJ Green is one of Rivers' projects and he liked what he saw from his guard, even if it didn't show up in the box score. 

Rivers was frank about what he wants to see out of Green after the game. He said that he's been coaching Green to adjust his shot selection and focus more on the shot itself, rather than trying to set up the shot.

Rivers said that earlier on in the season Green had been trying to beat the players that were guarding him, which Rivers said simply wasn't going to happen. He'd rather Green focus on his aggressiveness and adopt more of a catch-and-shoot mentality so that he can get his volume up, rather than try and be overly selective in his shots. 

At this point in the season, there's really nothing else for Rivers and the Bucks to do other than try and build toward something next season.

Rivers was positive about the work that the team has been doing, particularly in shoot-arounds.

He said that the team had been going hard in their workouts between games, sometimes even too hard, like ahead of their 129-96 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, where Rivers said it was hot in the gym they were working at and may have pushed things too far. 

The Bucks have pieces that can build together toward a solid core that can make this frustrating past season look like an anomaly, rather than the standard. 

That's not to say they aren't far off. Offensive chemistry has been lacking in Milwaukee this season and there's still a physicality issue, especially with how injured Giannis Antetokounmpo has been this season. 

It will take a lot of development to get the Bucks closer to their potential and further away from a repeat of this season and that's why Rivers is starting now.

"A lot of teaching going on... At the end of the day I think that's actually more important right now than anything else," Rivers said. "The teaching part, which we've got to keep doing."