LA Clippers look to make a splash this offseason and avoid irrelevance
Last week, the LA Clippers elected to part ways with legendary head coach Doc Rivers. A few days later, Rivers officially was named the new head coach of the Philadelphia 76ers. Doc has been a staple this past decade in LA, but after a brutal collapse to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals, both the Clips and Doc seem to have had enough.
Rivers has spent the majority of the century as one of the most notable figures running the sidelines in the league, running the show in Orlando, Boston, LA, and now Philly.
Personally, I was shocked when the news broke out that Doc was leaving the Clippers. With only questionable candidates available currently, I really didn’t see why it made sense for LA to move on from him. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized this was probably more of a decision on Rivers’ part than it was on the organization.
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I think Doc had enough, and even though this team is built to still contend over the next couple of years, he seems ready for a new journey. Turning the Sixers around, a team that is right on the edge of being a title contender can be just the challenge Doc needs.
Now the question is if the Clippers can stay atop the West without Doc and I have very mixed feelings on the topic. Depending on who they hire as head coach, the team chemistry and feelings around the organization would definitely alarm me if I were a Clippers fan about the future. There’s no doubt the team has a lot of rather outspoken figures and with the rumor circulating that Paul George‘s attempt at rallying the team together after their playoff loss was unsuccessful, makes me pretty concerned.
There are only a few candidates I would really consider if I was LA. I would steer clear of Tyronn Lue, Brett Brown, or Alvin Gentry, a few candidates who have not proven to be successful coaching in controversial moments. I would highly consider Nate McMillan, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson, but that’s only if JVG or Jackson are even willing to coach again.
The clock is ticking in LA and with the Lakers pushing hard for an NBA Title as we speak, the Clippers are very close to becoming irrelevant once again. All I know is this offseason the front office needs to look long and hard for the right candidate to run the team.
Also, re-signing sixth man of the year Montrezl Harrell is a must, as well as adding other pieces. With Paul George and Kawhi Leonard having the ability to opt-out of their contracts after next season, the Clips might only have the 2020-21 campaign to prove they’re a real title contender.