According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Los Angeles Clippers have parted ways with head coach Doc Rivers. The Clippers are reeling from a disappointing postseason run after acquiring Kawhi Leonard and Paul George this past offseason. They blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals, sending them home from the bubble early.
Coach Doc Rivers is out with the Clippers, sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 28, 2020
Los Angeles Clippers Part Ways with Doc Rivers
The Clippers came into this season as one of the favorites to win the title. They had a strong regular season where they went 49-23 and earned the second seed in the Western Conference. However, the playoffs didn’t mirror their success during the regular season.
Rivers made history this season in the worst way possible. He became the first head coach in NBA history to blow a 3-1 series lead three times. Rivers did this twice during his coaching tenure with the Clippers. In his seven seasons, the Clippers went 356-208 in the regular season. The Clippers have never made a Western Conference Finals and that didn’t change for them with Rivers.
“We didn’t meet them. That’s the bottom line. I’m the coach, and I’ll take any blame for it. But we didn’t meet our expectations, clearly, because if we had, in my opinion, we’d still be playing,” Rivers said, in regards to lofty expectations.
What’s Next for the Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers go into the offseason facing many questions about the team’s future. There’s the impending free agency of their Sixth Man of the Year winner Montrezl Harrell. It is still too soon to tell whether he will stay with the Clippers next season.
While their stars Leonard and George are expected to remain next season, the question will be how much longer will they remain with the Clippers. What will be the future for those two stars? Regardless, the legacy of these two stars will take a hit, more so with George. The Clippers will need to find a new coach to bring playoff success with their current roster as they get ready for the next season.
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