LOS ANGELES — Doc Rivers might no longer be on the LA Clippers‘ sideline, but he still thinks the Western Conference will be decided by his old team and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Rivers faced his former team on Saturday for the first time since being let go following the Clippers’ 3-1 series meltdown against the Denver Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs. And while he says the Clippers aren’t really running much that is different from when he was calling the plays, Rivers still thinks the Clippers and Lakers are the favorites in the West.
“Listen, Utah has been great. … But I still think the Clippers and Lakers are still the teams to beat in the West,” Rivers said before facing the Clippers on Saturday night.
Rivers admitted the observation was being made “from afar,” saying he doesn’t watch as many Western Conference games now that he’s on the East Coast. But, he said, “I don’t see anyone better than those two teams.”
Entering Saturday night, the Utah Jazz (33-11) had the best record in the NBA. Rivers’ Sixers had the second-best record in the league. While the Clippers were third in the West before their game against the Sixers and the Lakers were holding on at fourth despite being without the injured LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Rivers still thinks that it is all about the Los Angeles teams like it was supposed to be last season when both the Lakers and Clippers were considered heavy favorites to win it all.
The Denver Nuggets, who were fifth in the West entering Saturday night, made a big splash at the trade deadline to acquire Aaron Gordon from Orlando and JaVale McGee from Cleveland to be able to match up better with the elite teams in the West. And Rivers mentioned how Utah has Bojan Bogdanovic back this season after not having him in the bubble.
“I thought Denver had a great trade deadline, they did great moves,” Rivers said. “Utah is playing unbelievable basketball, so they are going to be right there. Portland I thought improved their team as well.
“But I still think it’s the Lakers and the Clippers.”
The Clippers played a welcome-back tribute video to their former coach, who was with the organization from 2013-20. Rivers left his imprint all over the franchise, from turning what was once a laughing-stock into a playoff contender to helping it rise out of the Donald Sterling scandal to its current status as a title contender with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Current head coach Ty Lue is also a Rivers protege.
“They’re a different team,” Rivers said. “They don’t have a lot of the same guys, [but] they run a lot of the same stuff that I run. I mean, going through [their plays at] shootaround today, I thought we were going through our shootaround at times. But I wouldn’t have changed much offensively, either, I mean, they were pretty darn good last year.”
Rivers often bemoaned the fact that he did not get much time to practice last season due to injuries to Leonard and George and other key pieces, and then the pandemic pause followed by constant disruption and lack of chemistry in the bubble restart.
Rivers believes the Clippers have more continuity and will be better defensively this season.
“The difference is they’ve had a chance to practice together, you know?” Rivers said of this season’s Clippers. “And you can see that. I think they’ve given the ball to P.G. more, which I think has helped him. So they’ve made some good changes. The biggest change I see also is defensively. I think they are a better defensive team. It’s funny, the numbers don’t exactly say that, but when I watch them I think they’re going to be a better defensive team, one of the better defensive teams when the playoffs start.”
The Clippers added Rivers’ old point guard, Rajon Rondo, in a trade with Atlanta before the deadline for Lou Williams. Rivers won a championship with Rondo in Boston and believes his old quarterback will be exactly what the Clippers need to help orchestrate the offense, take some playmaking load off of Leonard and George and provide much-needed leadership and basketball IQ.
“It was difficult at times last year,” Rivers said of not having a point guard like Rondo. “Especially without the practice time that we didn’t have, to run a play down the stretch where you didn’t already have the ball in P.G.’s or Kawhi’s hands. Now you don’t have to do that. You can actually run a set where Rondo can deliver the ball.
“But I think as important as that’s gonna be, his voice is going to be even more important,” Rivers said. “I think he’s one of those guys that will speak up, will speak the truth and tell everybody and hold everybody accountable. I think that’s important.”