Doc Rivers Has Done Good So Far With The Clippers, But Is It Time For A Shorter Leash?

The Clippers have done pretty good with Doc Rivers at the helm, but an unprecedented fall from grace after garnering a 3-1 series lead against the Houston Rockets leaves some unanswered questions

Heading up a team with a run-and-gun kind of offense mixed with big men in the back court to keep the pressure on opponents defensively is a pretty good job.

It’s an even better gig in the atmosphere Los Angeles brings to the table.

Countless title teams and memorable seasons are what the city of angels is known for, whether you’re a fan, hater, or somewhere in the middle.

And at the end of the day, the glory or the shame should weigh pretty heavily on the head coach of the team.

More from LA Sports Hub

• Lakers: 5 Players to Target Through Trades to make another championship run
• LA Chargers: Week 8 against Denver Broncos is a must-win
• LA Rams: Jared Goff wants to keep the Los Angeles title streak going
• Lakers Rumors: Los Angeles Clippers interested in Rajon Rondo
• LA Chargers: Justin Herbert wins AFC Rookie of the Month

In short, it’s time to take a look at Doc Rivers and what the Clippers should do moving forward.

Thankfully for a balanced team like Los Angeles’ second fiddle in the Clippers, it’s been pretty smooth sailing with the former Boston Celtic head honcho running the show.

But there’s always room for improvement.

Rivers has had two nearly identical seasons with Los Angeles, posting a 57-25 mark in year one and this season going 56-26.

The Clippers have gotten the third seed in the Western Conference both times.

Last season they had the pleasure of knocking out a fellow California team in the Golden State Warriors, who this year find themselves in the NBA Finals.

Following the Clippers eliminating the Warriors, then-Golden State coach Mark Jackson was let go in a stunning turn of events by the team.

This just goes to show that you should never get too comfortable with your job, even if you’re good at it.

Rivers will now be going into his third season running the Clippers, and it seems fair enough to start using more intense criteria to determine if he’s still the best fit for the team.

After all, he did raise the bar pretty high when he found a way to make the Boston Celtics click and led them to an NBA title in the 2007-08 and an Eastern Conference title two years later.

While part of me wants to say that next year should be conference finals-or-bust for Rivers, the other part of me wants to wait at least two more seasons before rushing into any sort of judgment.

And, I mean, it was in the Eastern Conference, not the West.

It’s not to bash Rivers style of coaching, because he is a good coach, but might not be the elite kind of one that the Clippers want running the show in the near future, especially with the Lakers looking like they’re reloading for a heck of a rebound.

And I don’t say that lightly.

All in all, coaching is just as much a learning experience as being a player, general manager, owner, or otherwise.

Bottom Line: Rivers is ready for the challenge, but that doesn’t lighten the load

The main reason Rivers should be under consideration from here on out is in large part because of the fallout from a 3-1 series lead in the second round this year that saw 2015 turn from hopeful to gloomy in a matter of three games.

Doc Rivers certainly knows there’s still untapped potential with the red, white, and blue. It’s just a matter of putting his ideas into action and it working out well.