Paul George recently indicated that he was unhappy with the way Doc Rivers utilized him last year, and Rivers was initially diplomatic with his response. Now that some time has passed, the former Los Angeles Clippers coach seems to be more willing to share his actual thoughts on the subject.
George said on the “All the Smoke” podcast a couple weeks ago that Rivers tried to use him like a pindown shooter and did not involve him in enough pick-and-roll plays or post-ups. Rivers initially took the high road but noted that George played in more pick-and-rolls last season than any other in his career. The coach reiterated that during an interview with Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times this week, but he added a bit more commentary.
When asked about George, Rivers said he understands that not every player will enjoy playing for him. He also noted how George struggled in the postseason and was probably looking for someone to blame. Rivers said he joked with someone recently and said, “Paul loved playing for me until the playoffs.”
“Paul struggled in the playoffs,” Rivers said. “He struggled in the Dallas series. He needed somebody to blame, and I’m fine with that. Blame me. [Expletive], I can handle it.”
George tried to clean up his comments on Rivers after the fact, but it certainly seems like they annoyed Doc. It’s hard to argue with Doc’s response, too, especially when you look at George’s horrific stats in playoff elimination games.
Even if Rivers did make mistakes with the Clippers, George needs to prove he can play at a high level in the postseason before pointing the finger at someone else. Rivers has a championship on his resume. George does not.
