Doc Can Opt Out After This Season? (Lakers Rumor)

Ranma · Post #1 » by **Ranma** » Sat Mar 16, 2019 8:03 pm

Stephen A. Smith mentioned in a segment on ESPN earlier this month that Doc has license to opt out of his contract and that he's the Lakers' top target as coach for this summer. I'm actually conflicted on this one. I'm obviously a vocal critic of Doc's but I also recognize that he can be successful under the right circumstances, however, as I've previously pointed out to the doubting Doc apologists, Mike Budenholzer is the better coach and he's the likely coach of the year for 2018-19.

I'm not denying Doc's cachet as a players coach. While the more experienced players may no longer buy his snake-oil BS, he's also someone who's gone out of his way to show appreciation to great players (see Dirk Nowitzki) and you know that caters to LeBron's ego. I actually think Doc could be successful joining LeBron and herein lies my conflict.

I've said that it's key for the Clippers to not only continue to be successful over the coming years but for the Lakers to continue to be in turmoil in our campaign to change hearts and minds. I'm less concerned about attracting bandwagon fans at the moment than I am in luring premier free agents. Doc and LeBron actually helps the Lakers' cause in that respect.

The Clippers organization as a whole is the more attractive option, but admittedly not having Doc or a suitable replacement of note would also hurt our standing a bit. Smith mentions the Lakers wanting Coach K as well as considering Doc, Tyronn Lue, Mark Jackson and Jason Kidd. He continues to even lay out an attractive scenario of having Doc as head coach with Tom Thibodeau, Lue and Brian Shaw on his coaching staff.

Mostly because of our front office currently in place, I'm okay with Doc continuing on for now as long as it prunes the roster to keep Doc from misusing his favorites, but I also want to be proactive in searching for better candidates. If the Lakers are dreaming of Mike Krzyzewski, why aren't the Clippers? Sure Coach K is admittedly a bigger risk at the NBA level, but he'd still be a promising prospect even at his advanced age. I'm also not losing hope on Brad Stevens when Cryrie Irving (hat tip to Quake Griffin), like LeBron, is a cancer killing the Celtics' locker room.

A part of me actually fears the Lakers eventually coming to their senses and booting Maginka in order to try to woo the Logo back and Jerry West saying yes out of a sense of old-school loyalty or nostalgia. Even in an advisory role, that would be a significant blow for the Clippers.

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Wammy Giveaway · Post #2 » by **Wammy Giveaway** » Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:49 pm

What do the Clippers ultimately want, redemption or reverence?

I mentioned in another thread about how my obsession over ejections corroborate to the Clipper's overall reputation and learning how to win over these forms of adversity to erase said reputation. When you say Lakers, you think "16 championships," Warriors prompts "dynasty," Spurs equate to "resiliency" - what do the Clippers mean. Right now, they're losers until they prove it by taking competition seriously, getting out of the 2nd round and actually winning a title coupled with some sort of Herculean side quest like coming out of a 3-0 playoff series deficit or one player scoring 100 points.

Doc Rivers has done a steady job only because the Clippers are captained by Jerry West, the special advisor to Steve Ballmer who makes draft, trade and front office suggestions for a franchise that has always bumbled under Donald Sterling, and ironically, Doc Rivers himself. Take away his reliance on superstars, his favorites and his son, and you get a coach who can turn a cast exclusively made up of role players into a formidable team. When he's forced into something he hates doing like developing rookies because it equates to tanking and a losing season, he'll commit to it cause he doesn't want to lose his job. But if he's leading a superstar starting lineup like the 2008 Celtics, his role reduces to a coach's minimum: managing egos. It worked with Pierce-Allen-Garnett but it didn't with Paul-Griffin-Jordan for a myriad of reasons, but I'll stick to "Jordan being pushed into becoming a superstar when he's really a role starter, like Tobias Harris, just to convince the media they do have a Big 3."

Doc has always wanted to emulate what Gregg Popovich did for the San Antonio Spurs with egalitarian players who play for the right reasons and for the good of basketball. But he was corrupt over his newfound powers, having to separate between his competitive fire from his abilities to build a Spurs-like team. West is doing the Spurs dream job for him, and it could be what decides the Clippers future:

Danny Chau wrote:In 2014, when the Los Angeles Clippers promoted coach and then-senior vice president of basketball operations Doc Rivers to the role of franchise majordomo—empowering him with the final say both on and off the court—there was a distinct ethos the team was hoping to replicate. Rivers’s final two seasons as a player were as a part of the San Antonio Spurs operation, and it was Gregg Popovich, then the Spurs GM, who brought him in. Popovich would become a coaching rival only seasons later (and one of the greatest coaches in any American professional sports league, full stop), but what he implemented in San Antonio while Rivers was in the organization was the model Doc tried to follow in his new venture. Doc had long admired the way the Spurs crafted a team wide sensibility and stuck to it for decades.

“Pop always used the line, ‘Over themselves.’ He wants guys ‘over themselves,’ guys who aren’t pouting when they’re on the bench. Guys, who when they come out, sprint out and are happy,” Rivers told ESPN in 2015. “They keep finding guys like that. They’ll tell you privately they’ve missed on a couple that could have fit even better but they thought he may not so they passed. They’d rather pass and get that right than take any risk.”

If Doc is liking the pseudo-Spurs approach West is putting for him, he might stay, but his passion for chips could cloud his judgment. LeBron James could give him an instant ring, but what if James decreed to the Lakers they trade for Chris Paul - and we've already seen how the Paul-Doc dynamic worked out in their four years together. History would repeat itself, except the Lakers will be feeling what the Clippers already experienced, maybe another 3-1 collapse will happen. But the future is a mystery, all we have going for predictions are historical accounts and the acts of the present. But that could actually work out in the Clipper's favor, provided they have a coach in mind: is it in-house with Rex Kalamian, Sam Cassell, or Natalie Nakase; outside the circle like Mike Krzyzewski or Brad Stevens; or could they work out a first-ever coaching trade of Doc Rivers for Luke Walton, and if that didn't work, Doc for a 1st round pick and a gag order.

Jerry West gives the Clippers more options that they've ever had under Donald Sterling or Doc Rivers. Steve Ballmer made a significant investment in the Theo Epstein of the NBA, and it's paying off. Does Doc Rivers want the easy way out or a trust in west?

Quake Griffin · Post #3 » by **Quake Griffin** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 3:21 am

The Budenholzer jokes when they were 15-7 are pretty funny in hindsight but you can tell the Doc apologists are hoping they get clipped by Boston in the second round to come out of the wood work and laugh at Buds. Brogdon going out for 6-8 weeks today doesn't help.

Anywho.

Doc should stay on as coach. While I would mini-tank or stealth tank, I would never intentionally set myself up for a lesser coach. Not only do I not know if we could adequately replace him, I dunno where I'd start the search.

I've been big on saying I wouldn't mind Spo in LA but I dunno why Spo would ever leave Miami at this point.

esqtvd · Post #4 » by **esqtvd** » Sun Mar 17, 2019 3:40 am

I'm a "Doc apologist," if that means defending him from spurious attacks. I don't care what happens with Budenholzer. Doesn't affect us. We have a very good coach.

Don't know any other "Doc apologists" who give a damn either.

Ranma · Post #5 » by **Ranma** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 3:30 am

Uh, Pete...Stephen. A. Smith mentioned this two weeks ago. Hack.

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Ranma · Post #6 » by **Ranma** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 3:37 am

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Post #7 » by **QRich3** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 5:05 pm

They can have him in exchange for their lottery pick

madmaxmedia · Post #8 » by **madmaxmedia** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 7:19 pm

I just hope the Clippers get ahead of this before the season ends (if there's any truth to the rumor), so we have no uncertainties that cloud the offseason and FA period.

I am very happy with our FO and coaching staff right now. That being said, if I had to choose I'd rather the Lakers poach Doc than Jerry.

Neddy · Post #9 » by **Neddy** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 8:25 pm

only Clipper related person I hated more than Doc the GM was our old news Donald.

Doc the Coach is fine by me as long as it does not become having to choose between Jerry West and Doc. I think them together creates synergy when it comes to recruitment of who's who among the FAs as well as day to day personnel decisions of the clipper brass.

but

if there really comes a point in time that we have to choose one over the other, Doc is more replaceable than Jerry. in fact someone's got to invent a functional prototype version of "head in a jar" machine from the Futurama to keep Jerry West do what he does best for our Clippers until Philip J. Fry gets unfrozen.

Post #10 » by **mkwest** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 10:07 pm

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TheNewEra · Post #11 » by **TheNewEra** » Tue Mar 19, 2019 10:14 pm

For two first rounders go for it

Post #12 » by **mkwest** » Wed Mar 20, 2019 2:43 am

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Spoiler:

esqtvd · Post #13 » by **esqtvd** » Wed Mar 20, 2019 3:24 am

Glad Doc put this one to bed. This is Doc's team, much more than the CP-BG team he inherited. That was Chris Paul's team. Doc as GM just did whatever he could to try to push it up the hill. CP-BG-DJ ate up all the money.

For the record, the sh*tty late first-round pick the Clippers traded to Ainge for Doc turned into RJ Hunter, who averaged 2.6 points in 44 NBA games. Last spotted in G-League with his 6th organization.

Clemenza · Post #14 » by **Clemenza** » Wed Mar 20, 2019 3:45 am

This present Clipper squad has turned into a really sweet gig for Doc.. also a chance to get a Kawhi or Durant over the summer. No way he ditches us for the sh*t show across the hall.

Fireburner · Post #15 » by **Fireburner** » Wed Mar 20, 2019 6:34 am

Beautiful. Woj throwing bombs at the clown show only makes it sweeter. Man the Clippers have a great owner, FO, and coach for years to come. Exciting times!

esqtvd · Post #16 » by **esqtvd** » Wed Mar 20, 2019 7:05 am

Spoelstra = better than Doc?

UmmHmm. And what has he done without Bron coaching himself?

"There are people in southern California right now in that environment telling Doc he doesn't wanna do this. And one of those reasons is simply, LeBron James. He's been told by people—and I know this—LeBron doesn't want to be coached. He's never been coached by someone with that kind of personality, command, authority, acumen, intellect. He's rejected that. So Doc is being reminded of that by people," said Wilbon on "Pardon the Interruption."

Ranma · Post #17 » by **Ranma** » Wed Mar 20, 2019 11:13 am

While I'm not disputing Wilbon's report, I'm not sure it's the whole truth with regards to LeBron. Lest we forget, LeBron tried to undermine Spoelstra during his time with Miami in an attempt to get Riley to coach him, Wade & Bosh. However, that was early on in his career before he got a ring. Since then, LeBron has pushed for Lue to be his coach and Lue did little more than serve as a towel rack during timeouts as plays were being drawn up in Cleveland.

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Ranma · Post #18 » by **Ranma** » Wed Mar 20, 2019 12:08 pm

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Quake Griffin · Post #19 » by **Quake Griffin** » Wed Mar 20, 2019 12:28 pm

Lakers continue to take Ls.

Floating out these rumors to make their organization seem like it’s not a dumpster fire only prompted “Ballz” to prove him wrong.

Good move.
As long as we put good things on the teleprompter for Doc Burgundy, he can stay as long as he wants.

Wammy Giveaway · Post #20 » by **Wammy Giveaway** » Wed Mar 20, 2019 6:30 pm

Clippers may have lived up to their name sake in brushing through the shrubs, but are not out of the woods yet. There is still the off-season. By extending his current contract, the Lakers are now poised to trade a draft pick to get him. They will do everything in their power to sabotage the Clippers season in order to pry Doc.

This is where a coach like Gregg Popovich could come in and keep the focus squarely on basketball. Don't get distracted, be like soldiers: win for the good of your community.

Doc wants to be Pop? Now's the time to prove it.