The Los Angeles Clippers were a major disappointment during the NBA playoffs, and head coach Doc Rivers is becoming a target for some of the blame.
The Clippers blew a 3-1 series lead and lost in seven games to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals. They held leads in all three closeout games but failed to win the series. Rivers has now presided over three series in which his teams blew a 3-1 lead.
As the team’s disappointing season gets dissected, we’re hearing about some dissatisfaction players had with Rivers.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania wrote an article about the Clippers and said some players were confused by some of Rivers’ decisions.
From the story:
“Head coach Doc Rivers had several strategic decisions that left players scratching their heads, such as the decision not to ride a bigger lineup against Nikola Jokic, choosing rotations that did not prioritize more minutes for JaMychal Green and various defensive adjustments.”
Not only that, but there is some blame being ascribed to Rivers for the team’s chemistry issues.
Of course, it is easy to point out these issues when you lose. But when the Clippers were up 3-1 in the series, players probably weren’t questioning things in the same way.
One issue the Clippers will likely have to address is the situation with Paul George. He reportedly was called out by a teammate in Game 2 against Denver. It also seems like some players did not view George as a team leader.
Despite the issues involving Rivers, the Clippers reportedly plan to bring back the veteran head coach.
