“We’re just not consistent enough,” Rivers said. “Blame whatever you want, but we were up against a very good defensive team. Fortunately, we were good enough offensively to try and win the game but later that’s not going to work. You’re not going to roll it out and be able to outscore everybody. You’re going to have to get stops, you’re going to have to get stops in a row and it has to be consistent. For us to be an elite team, we have to do that. We can be a good team the way we are playing, but if you’re going to be elite, you’re going to have to have something of a standard defensively. We’re working on it.”
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While the Clippers have been knocked for their lack of size and depth in the frontcourt, Rivers scoffs when he hears the Clippers can’t win a championship because of those shortcomings.
He points to the Miami Heat, who have won back-to-back titles and have gone to three straight Finals without much size and depth in the frontcourt. The one thing they have done well, however, over the last three seasons is play solid defense.
Clippers Aim to Be Elite Defensively
Doc being a little stubborn using the Miami Heat for justification for the lack of size on the roster without acknowledging that most successful postseason teams have size to contribute towards defense and rebounds. Instead of taking on a poser in Byron Mullens, who just thinks he's offensively capable, getting a blue-collar big to do the dirty work would be of much more help as an option to go to. Still, he's putting the onus on the players to step up their defensive focus and, presumably, rebounding efforts in winning the "50-50 plays".
