WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.120 --> 00:00:05.559 This is Rodney. All right, we continue of Fred Rogan, Rodney Peak 2 00:00:05.679 --> 00:00:10.119 and five seventy l A Sports saltier, Adam Auslin, what is this hour? 3 00:00:10.679 --> 00:00:13.839 And Adam, of course the whole stuff, the Clipper Countdown, the 4 00:00:14.000 --> 00:00:18.719 halftime show, the postgame show, the Clipper countdown, not Clipper Countdown, 5 00:00:18.960 --> 00:00:25.079 the Clipper County. There's only on the Ohio State Buckeyes, right, the 6 00:00:25.239 --> 00:00:29.920 Clipper stock putting some respect on that name today. And I did have a 7 00:00:29.920 --> 00:00:33.119 lot of fans calling about Doc Rivers at the end of the series against the 8 00:00:33.119 --> 00:00:36.560 Denver Nuggets. All right, leave that you were Were you surprised by this? 9 00:00:37.159 --> 00:00:41.520 I was surprised a little bit with the timing and also because and I'll 10 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:45.840 read it to you, but Chris Haynes, one of the best reporters out 11 00:00:45.880 --> 00:00:52.679 there who actually had the story on Kawhi Leonard going to the Clippers before Adrian 12 00:00:52.679 --> 00:00:58.039 Wardzarroowski, he said, quote, Rivers will be running it back next season, 13 00:00:58.200 --> 00:01:00.640 sources set, So we took that to the bank. It's him at 14 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:04.680 shams its woes. Those are the three best reporters, so things could have 15 00:01:04.799 --> 00:01:11.640 changed. Conversations were had apparently in earlier today. Jovan Buja of the athletic 16 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:14.879 who is a friend of mine who has come on Clippers talk for the last 17 00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:19.719 couple of seasons. He reported that there were philosophical differences between the Clippers and 18 00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:23.400 the organization and what Doc Rivers wanted to do moving forward with certain players, 19 00:01:23.799 --> 00:01:26.599 and there were rotational issues, and these are some of the things we've talked 20 00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:33.439 about all season long with this team and a Visa Zubats is someone who has 21 00:01:33.480 --> 00:01:38.000 the potential to be a future defensive Player of the Year in this league. 22 00:01:38.040 --> 00:01:40.599 He's that good. He's only twenty three years of age right now. He's 23 00:01:40.640 --> 00:01:44.359 getting better and better. He was the second best rim protector in the league 24 00:01:44.359 --> 00:01:49.000 this year, right behind Brook Lopez, and he was a plus seventeen on 25 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:53.319 the court in the playoffs, but he wasn't playing a lot, or he 26 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:57.959 wasn't playing as much as he could have been. And Montrese Harrold, who 27 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:00.640 was a minus eleven when he was on the court in the playoffs, through 28 00:02:00.680 --> 00:02:05.799 no fault of his own, he had not played organized basketball in five months. 29 00:02:05.840 --> 00:02:09.199 Monster Tress because of the hiatus because of the pandemic, and then because 30 00:02:09.240 --> 00:02:13.560 he had a death in the family. When he returned the playoffs, started, 31 00:02:14.039 --> 00:02:17.240 and it's hard to implement a guy back into the rotation and think he's 32 00:02:17.240 --> 00:02:21.639 gonna have any form or any rhythm out there, and he really didn't. 33 00:02:22.159 --> 00:02:25.800 And he was a minus twenty seven and seventy two minutes against Nikolajokis when he 34 00:02:25.840 --> 00:02:30.599 was out there on the floor. When Denver made their big runs, Monster 35 00:02:30.719 --> 00:02:35.039 Tres was out there. And so I think one of Doc's biggest strengths is 36 00:02:35.080 --> 00:02:38.439 being that player's coach, is having that trust with his players that you're not 37 00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:42.159 going to be looking over your shoulder too much, that he's going to let 38 00:02:42.199 --> 00:02:45.280 you fail at times. But I think it also turned out to be his 39 00:02:45.319 --> 00:02:49.560 weakness in the playoffs because he had a blind spot for Montres. Harold granted 40 00:02:49.719 --> 00:02:53.039 Trez six Man of the Year award winner was a runner up or was third 41 00:02:53.080 --> 00:02:57.520 in voting last year, and that's because of the great coaching from Doc Rivers 42 00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:00.599 and how he developed him. So that was his guy, and I think, 43 00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:04.240 so to speak, as the expression goes, he kind of died on 44 00:03:04.280 --> 00:03:07.599 that hill. He kept going back and back or back to Monste Trez, 45 00:03:08.159 --> 00:03:13.879 and some of the times didn't work out, obviously, because the Denver Nuggets 46 00:03:13.879 --> 00:03:15.479 made their big runs, when they were down nineteen, when they were down 47 00:03:15.520 --> 00:03:20.439 sixteen, when they were down twelve, when Trez was on the floor. 48 00:03:20.960 --> 00:03:23.000 And I do want to say Doc Rivers is a great coach. He's a 49 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:28.840 great man, and he helped establish a winning culture with the Clippers, and 50 00:03:28.879 --> 00:03:34.919 he brought credibility to the franchise, legitimacy, relevancy, respectability, and he's 51 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:38.719 always going to be a part of the foundation when they do eventually win a 52 00:03:38.800 --> 00:03:42.599 championship, just like Blake Griffin was, just like CP three was, because 53 00:03:42.599 --> 00:03:46.680 he helped them turn the corner and become a winning organization. Think about this, 54 00:03:46.879 --> 00:03:51.319 They've only made the playoffs thirteen times in the history of the franchise. 55 00:03:51.479 --> 00:03:54.400 The Clippers have only made it thirteen times in fifty years. Six of those 56 00:03:54.439 --> 00:03:59.520 times Doc Rivers was the coach when they made the playoffs. He just simply 57 00:03:59.560 --> 00:04:01.719 could not get over the hump. Now, the last two years I thought 58 00:04:01.879 --> 00:04:06.800 were his best coaching jobs, but those were with teams who had lower expectations, 59 00:04:08.120 --> 00:04:11.840 teams that overachieved. He was great at that with the Clippers, but 60 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:15.319 teams that were supposed to be contenders, that were the front runners. And 61 00:04:15.560 --> 00:04:19.399 we knew the stats in the odds of them winning the championship. Coming into 62 00:04:19.399 --> 00:04:24.199 this year, they were the front runner. Those teams came up short and 63 00:04:24.439 --> 00:04:29.199 blowing a three one lead the way they did too, where you're up by 64 00:04:29.480 --> 00:04:34.600 double digit leads in the last three games, it was somewhat inexcusable and inexplicable. 65 00:04:34.680 --> 00:04:39.920 It was hard to understand and hard to rationalize, because, look, 66 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:42.920 I do think Doc Verse is a top five coach in this league, but 67 00:04:43.000 --> 00:04:46.800 that doesn't mean he's a top five club coach for this Clippers roster the way 68 00:04:46.800 --> 00:04:50.720 it's constructed now, and he wasn't able to maximize the talent in the biggest 69 00:04:50.759 --> 00:04:57.079 moments in the playoffs, he wasn't able to adjust. I know that was 70 00:04:57.079 --> 00:05:00.519 a lot Rodney. You know, I've been because a lot of it. 71 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:03.040 Most of it, No, most of it. I agree with you. 72 00:05:03.079 --> 00:05:06.600 I just I just and I said this earlier. I just think in this 73 00:05:06.639 --> 00:05:13.639 situation, in the bubble this year, coming off of a year, like 74 00:05:13.680 --> 00:05:18.560 you mentioned that he coached his probably his best year of coaching, I just 75 00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:23.680 think there's so many circumstances and to pull the trigger after a bubble season, 76 00:05:23.720 --> 00:05:27.920 after a season we've never no one's ever been through before, yes, the 77 00:05:28.000 --> 00:05:31.680 expectations were high. I just think it was I would like to have seen 78 00:05:31.800 --> 00:05:34.720 him get one more year and one more crack at it that I guess that 79 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:40.800 that is the big takeaway that I'm getting from this, because you do you 80 00:05:40.920 --> 00:05:44.639 have back to back six men of the Year that had to leave the bubble 81 00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:47.800 that you have counted on, you counted on for for the last year, 82 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:51.959 last two years, and you expect him at some point to get it going. 83 00:05:53.040 --> 00:05:56.240 You gotta and I and I know this from a coach's mindset too, 84 00:05:56.279 --> 00:05:59.399 that sometimes you believe, Okay, I gotta get him back to minutes so 85 00:05:59.439 --> 00:06:00.959 I can get him going, so he can get back to form, whether 86 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:04.160 it be Lou Williams, whether it be Montres Harold, and it just didn't 87 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:11.480 happen. But he can't actually he can't play defense. I mean, the 88 00:06:11.600 --> 00:06:15.319 joker put that on everybody's to be honest, Well, let's be honest, 89 00:06:15.319 --> 00:06:17.079 he put it on everybody. The difference with the Lakers, though, when 90 00:06:17.199 --> 00:06:23.439 when Denver has made those runs and come back, the Lakers as a team, 91 00:06:23.439 --> 00:06:28.519 as individuals, as players said Okay, we're gonna I'm gonna take this 92 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:30.959 game over. Lebron James I'm gonna take this game over. Anthony Davis, 93 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:34.079 Well, we're gonna do it. Rondo at the defensive end. I didn't 94 00:06:34.079 --> 00:06:40.240 see that from the Clipper players. And we can talk Jamal Murray, are 95 00:06:40.240 --> 00:06:45.199 we gonna? I mean, nothing's wrong with with Kawhi and Paul George. 96 00:06:46.199 --> 00:06:49.240 Jamal Murray went off too. It's not just put it all on Zubots and 97 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:54.879 Montres Harold and Zubats plays. No, Jamal Murray went off too. I'm 98 00:06:54.920 --> 00:06:59.560 just saying in the and and and then also Paul George with the mental issue 99 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:04.000 early on. I I just again, I would like to have seen him 100 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:10.000 get a full crack at this particular roster, because, yes, the Chris 101 00:07:10.040 --> 00:07:15.040 Paul Blake Griffins were a team with a lot of expectations that underachieved, but 102 00:07:15.079 --> 00:07:17.759 they still had to go through the Warriors and a lot of those cases to 103 00:07:17.800 --> 00:07:20.680 get there to win it, and who knows if they would even got to 104 00:07:20.680 --> 00:07:24.959 the Western Conference finals and won it and get to the finals. But this 105 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:29.720 team obviously was head and shoulders predicted to go and win it all and most 106 00:07:29.759 --> 00:07:32.519 experts had him winning at all and they fell way way short, and in 107 00:07:32.519 --> 00:07:35.680 the way they did, It's certainly a factor, but just give the man 108 00:07:35.839 --> 00:07:41.199 one more shot at a full season to get it done with new players and 109 00:07:41.279 --> 00:07:45.439 Rod, yeah, I completely understand that because there were difficult circumstances that were 110 00:07:45.480 --> 00:07:49.040 obviously outside of docks control. But you mentioned yo Kich is giving it to 111 00:07:49.160 --> 00:07:54.120 everyone he is, but you try to contain him the best you can. 112 00:07:54.879 --> 00:07:58.720 And some of the rotations with Tres being out there, when Yokich is shooting 113 00:07:58.759 --> 00:08:01.480 sixty five percent against him when he's on the floor versus forty eight percent against 114 00:08:01.480 --> 00:08:05.519 the Viza Zubots when he's out there on the floor, that's hard to understand. 115 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:09.600 And this is something we've talked about all season long. I've gotten phone 116 00:08:09.639 --> 00:08:13.560 calls on this since the first week of the season. Why is a Visa 117 00:08:13.639 --> 00:08:18.439 zu Bots not playing more? Reporters know this, People in the know have 118 00:08:18.639 --> 00:08:24.560 always questioned this particular decision by Doc Rivers to go with Montrese Harrold over a 119 00:08:24.680 --> 00:08:26.920 Visa Zubots, even though all the numbers, all the analytics, and the 120 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:33.000 eye test tells you that Zubots is the better player in most situations and he 121 00:08:33.080 --> 00:08:35.639 wasn't closing out games. And so if we all know that, you can 122 00:08:35.720 --> 00:08:39.879 be damn sure. Steve Balmer in the front office they know that too. 123 00:08:39.200 --> 00:08:43.799 And if that report from Joban Buja is accurate, and I have no reason 124 00:08:43.879 --> 00:08:48.600 to doubt it, And if his sources are correct, and that was a 125 00:08:48.679 --> 00:08:52.039 schism or a divide between the front office and Doc Rivers and Steve Balmer, 126 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:56.200 then I can understand how you move on because if Doc's going to be adamant 127 00:08:56.200 --> 00:09:01.320 that he's going to be playing Montrese Harold more going for it still, then 128 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:05.799 you could run into the exact same problems again. So some of these things, 129 00:09:05.879 --> 00:09:09.480 Yes, a coach takes the fall for things that are outside their purview, 130 00:09:09.559 --> 00:09:15.360 outside of their control, because it's always easier to switch out a head 131 00:09:15.440 --> 00:09:20.320 coach than having a complete roster turnover, especially with some of the salaries they 132 00:09:20.320 --> 00:09:24.159 have with the Clippers roster. But Doc Rivers was accountable. After Game seven, 133 00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:28.159 he said, you can point the finger at me. He owned a 134 00:09:28.159 --> 00:09:31.320 lot of this. And again, I love Doc Rivers, I hate talking 135 00:09:31.320 --> 00:09:35.240 about this stuff and I feel bad for him because not only is he a 136 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:39.879 great coach, he's a great man. But this was a situation where they 137 00:09:39.919 --> 00:09:46.120 didn't get close to maximizing their talent on the court and getting to those expectations 138 00:09:46.159 --> 00:09:50.919 that were lofty, but we're warranted. This is different than blowing a three 139 00:09:50.960 --> 00:09:54.039 one lead with Lob City. You have Kawhi Leonard on this team, and 140 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:56.840 you couldn't close out games where you were up nineteen, up sixteen, up 141 00:09:56.919 --> 00:10:01.759 twelve, over and over again, the same thing seemed to keep happening. 142 00:10:01.039 --> 00:10:03.720 Are their locker room issues? I don't know. There's murmurs of that. 143 00:10:05.480 --> 00:10:09.080 So it was a season that was difficult to manage across the board. But 144 00:10:09.559 --> 00:10:13.600 I think there are some good coaching candidates out there that may be better equipped 145 00:10:13.639 --> 00:10:18.600 for a situation like this than Doc Rivers, and I think that's where the 146 00:10:18.600 --> 00:10:20.799 team's moving forward with. All Right, well, let's talk about those candidates. 147 00:10:22.159 --> 00:10:26.639 Tylu name mentioned right off the top. He's been sitting next to Doc, 148 00:10:26.720 --> 00:10:30.799 he was his assistant in Boston. He's won a title. Jeff Van 149 00:10:30.840 --> 00:10:33.919 Gundy was mentioned as well. Are those the only two candidates? Well, 150 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:37.240 according to Adrian will Drowski, they are front runners. I wouldn't say they're 151 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:39.480 the only two candidates, but I do think they're good ones, especially Tyron 152 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:43.440 Lou. Not only has he been an assistant coach with Doc, Rivers. 153 00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:46.960 Doc has been his mentor, but he's been in a situation where he was 154 00:10:48.000 --> 00:10:52.879 promoted from within midway through a season back in January of twenty sixteen where David 155 00:10:52.919 --> 00:10:58.600 Blatt was let go with the Cleveland Cavaliers and he got them over the top. 156 00:10:58.679 --> 00:11:01.240 Now you can say Lebron James James is the main reason for that, 157 00:11:01.320 --> 00:11:05.159 fine, but that's a little bit disrespectful to Tyron Lou. Look at how 158 00:11:05.200 --> 00:11:11.279 many clips there are online of he and Lebron James getting into arguments on the 159 00:11:11.320 --> 00:11:15.960 bench, and you can only do that if you have Lebron's respect. The 160 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:18.039 best player over the last twenty five years, maybe the best player ever, 161 00:11:18.120 --> 00:11:22.440 he had his respect and apparently he originally wanted Tyron Lou to be the head 162 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:28.440 coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. So he is someone that demands respect in 163 00:11:28.480 --> 00:11:31.120 the locker room. You have to have that. And he won a championship 164 00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:35.000 and Jeff Van Gundi, while he hasn't been a head coach in thirteen years, 165 00:11:35.000 --> 00:11:39.240 it's kind of like John Gruden coming out of the booth and returning to 166 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:43.720 the court, and he did very good things with the New York Knicks, 167 00:11:43.759 --> 00:11:48.039 obviously, where they were an eight seed and they got to the NBA Finals 168 00:11:48.039 --> 00:11:52.240 back in nineteen ninety nine. And I do wonder about analytically, where is 169 00:11:52.240 --> 00:11:56.559 he leaning there. He's more old school, but he's a disciplinarian. And 170 00:11:56.600 --> 00:12:00.799 if that's what they need in this locker room right now to get everybody pointing 171 00:12:00.919 --> 00:12:03.200 in the same direction, that could be vital. I also think stan Band 172 00:12:03.200 --> 00:12:07.120 Gundy's name could be out there at some point. He obviously got through Orlando 173 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:11.320 Magic to an NBA finals, and he did so using a lot of analytics. 174 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:15.200 They played four out and then had Dwight Howard in the paint. And 175 00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:20.480 you could say that if pat Riley does not boot him out from being courtside 176 00:12:20.519 --> 00:12:24.360 as the head coach with those Miami Heat teams in two thousand and six, 177 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:28.440 they started eleven and ten after winning fifty nine games a year before that. 178 00:12:28.519 --> 00:12:33.039 Understand Band Gundy pat Riley comes down, they end up winning the championship. 179 00:12:33.279 --> 00:12:35.919 I'm not so sure that stan Van Gundy wasn't able to win that championship if 180 00:12:35.919 --> 00:12:39.879 he was still the head coach. Oh yeah, they win it, right, 181 00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:43.600 I mean they went seven. They win it. They only lost the 182 00:12:43.679 --> 00:12:48.679 year before to the Detroit Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals in a seven game 183 00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:54.080 series and it wins seven games. So I think he's a championship level type 184 00:12:54.120 --> 00:12:58.519 head coach, and Doc Rivers was that too, But was he the right 185 00:12:58.600 --> 00:13:03.320 coach for this team? I mentioned he helped establish a winning culture with the 186 00:13:03.320 --> 00:13:09.480 Clippers, but Steve Baumber, he's here to establish a championship at that though. 187 00:13:09.519 --> 00:13:13.080 Okay, before before the pandemic hit, right, Yeah, what were 188 00:13:13.120 --> 00:13:15.879 we saying about the Clippers even though they lost in the Lakers? What were 189 00:13:15.919 --> 00:13:18.879 we saying about them? That they were hitting their stride? They were peaking 190 00:13:18.919 --> 00:13:24.320 at the right time as much as we were saying that about the Lakers, 191 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:26.840 even though you know, when they beat Milwaukee and they beat the Clippers. 192 00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:31.320 But we were saying the Clippers because they were on some sort of winning straight 193 00:13:31.320 --> 00:13:33.799 I forget what it was, but they were starting to play well and starting 194 00:13:33.840 --> 00:13:37.960 to be that dangerous team. And then a four month break. Yeah, 195 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:41.840 they won seven of their last eight games. That one loss came to Los 196 00:13:41.879 --> 00:13:46.399 Angeles Lakers. But they were so consistently inconsistent, and that's not a huge 197 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:50.799 sample size. Still, and they had times in the seating games where the 198 00:13:50.840 --> 00:13:54.000 Phoenix Suns beat him with that game winner, And I know they went undefeated 199 00:13:54.240 --> 00:14:00.480 and still didn't make the playoff, but all year long they could not maintain 200 00:14:00.799 --> 00:14:05.720 any level of consistency. And I think some of that eventually has to be 201 00:14:05.799 --> 00:14:09.519 on Doc Rivers. How much do you think how much do you think that 202 00:14:09.720 --> 00:14:15.440 because we obviously compare the Lakers and Clippers all the time. The fact that 203 00:14:15.480 --> 00:14:20.679 you've got a vocal, very outspoken leader in Lebron in the Laker locker room, 204 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:26.679 and Kawhi is not that guy. And I don't know if Paul George 205 00:14:26.720 --> 00:14:30.120 can be that guy. Yeah, there are different ways to lead, but 206 00:14:30.159 --> 00:14:33.039 it sure worked for the Toronto Raptors last year. I mean, obviously Kyle 207 00:14:33.080 --> 00:14:37.120 Lowry, though Kyle Lowry is he's really the leader and vocal leader on that 208 00:14:37.120 --> 00:14:43.759 team. Kyle Lowry was also somebody that struggled mightily in the playoffs before Kawhi 209 00:14:43.840 --> 00:14:46.559 lea. He did not shy away from being the vocal leaders. What I'm 210 00:14:46.559 --> 00:14:50.159 saying, sure, and who is that for the Clippers at this point? 211 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:54.240 Maybe you could say it's Patrick Beverley with the way he leads on and off 212 00:14:54.279 --> 00:14:58.559 the court. You're right, there's something to that, But Obviously, Doc 213 00:14:58.679 --> 00:15:03.519 rivers leadership and his message, it wasn't translating. And I don't know what 214 00:15:03.600 --> 00:15:07.000 happened at the end of that game seven, because there were reports that guys 215 00:15:07.039 --> 00:15:11.519 were asking to come out of the game because they weren't well conditioned enough because 216 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:18.360 they were gassed. That's unbelievable. And everything that happened to lead up to 217 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:24.799 that moment was also just so devastating to see the same disappointment happened that happened 218 00:15:24.799 --> 00:15:28.159 in twenty fifteen to a team this good, to a team that has a 219 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:31.960 championship level player in Kawhi Leonard on it and a lot of the time that 220 00:15:33.039 --> 00:15:37.240 falls on the head coach. This isn't unprecedented. And again, Doc Rivers 221 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:41.559 is one of the all time great coaches in NBA history. He's eleventh on 222 00:15:41.639 --> 00:15:46.679 the all time coaching wins list, and he's gonna go down right now. 223 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:50.559 He is the best coach for the Clippers, the most successful. And I 224 00:15:50.159 --> 00:15:52.240 look, I get it. I've been around sports a long time since. 225 00:15:52.279 --> 00:15:56.440 Coaches come and go get fired. Dad was a coach, my brother's a 226 00:15:56.480 --> 00:15:58.879 coach, been fired and hired several times. I get it, and it's 227 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:04.200 I'm always fair. But my thing is I look at it and go because 228 00:16:04.200 --> 00:16:07.720 I do believe this is a Clipper team, if they're able to keep it 229 00:16:07.759 --> 00:16:12.399 together, a team that will win multiple championships. I really do. And 230 00:16:12.679 --> 00:16:17.720 Fred and I have talked about this about the Lakers, that this was or 231 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:21.960 is Lebron's best chance to win it, and he's put together a season that 232 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:25.720 hopefully it ends in it in a championship because we don't know if he can 233 00:16:25.799 --> 00:16:30.159 duplicate what he's done this year, Whereas the Clippers are younger, especially their 234 00:16:30.159 --> 00:16:33.960 stars are younger, and they have an opportunity to win multiple ones. That 235 00:16:33.000 --> 00:16:37.399 being said, I look at it like, you know, Mark Jackson getting 236 00:16:37.399 --> 00:16:42.120 fired from Golden State and Steve Kerr taking over and winning championships. I'm saying 237 00:16:42.519 --> 00:16:48.360 that Mark Jackson, you can't tell me that he wouldn't have won championships with 238 00:16:48.480 --> 00:16:52.080 Golden State. And I'd hate to see Doc leave and they go win a 239 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:59.679 championship next year or the year after. And Doc was fired during a pandemic 240 00:16:59.720 --> 00:17:03.759 and a level in a situation where mentally physically guys are not the same. 241 00:17:03.680 --> 00:17:07.680 But I can make the argument that the main reason they lost that series up 242 00:17:07.720 --> 00:17:12.839 three one was because of some of the roster moves by Doc Rivers. Everybody 243 00:17:12.880 --> 00:17:18.039 else recognized that Monstitrez the game didn't match the name at that point. He 244 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:22.720 didn't look right, he wasn't himself, and every bone lead started with him 245 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:27.359 being on the court, and it's been an issue going back from the beginning 246 00:17:27.400 --> 00:17:33.279 of the season. So I don't think this was just a reactionary decision just 247 00:17:33.400 --> 00:17:36.319 because of what happened when they were up three one. It could go back 248 00:17:36.359 --> 00:17:38.599 to twenty fifteen two. It's all body of work with Doc Rivers. He's 249 00:17:38.599 --> 00:17:42.599 been there for seven seasons and they hadn't been able to get through and break 250 00:17:42.640 --> 00:17:45.759 through that barrier of getting to the Western Conference finals. And I don't think 251 00:17:45.759 --> 00:17:49.359 that's the Clippers goal anyways. Like you said, this is a team built 252 00:17:49.400 --> 00:17:53.160 that can win multiple championships. I mean, that's what Steve Balmer is here 253 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:56.960 to do when Doc Rivers unfortunately fell short of. And I think Steve Balmer 254 00:17:57.000 --> 00:18:02.480 has done a great job in refining each point of this organization where the front 255 00:18:02.519 --> 00:18:07.440 office is at a championship level, and he's at a championship level himself because 256 00:18:07.720 --> 00:18:11.920 he'll do anything to win right now, and they have to find that head 257 00:18:11.920 --> 00:18:15.759 coach that's going to get this roster and maximize the talent on the floor. 258 00:18:15.359 --> 00:18:19.920 And there were some flaws in Doc Rivers and his strategy. I think that 259 00:18:21.000 --> 00:18:23.200 really hurt them come playoff time. And it goes back to Reggie Jackson in 260 00:18:23.240 --> 00:18:26.119 the series before that. I'm not sure why he was on the court in 261 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:30.200 Game four for defensive purposes. Why was he even out there? Why wasn't 262 00:18:30.279 --> 00:18:34.680 Terrence Man out there? I don't understand that. Why wasn't Roddy McGruder, 263 00:18:34.720 --> 00:18:37.640 who never played a minute in the playoffs, why wasn't he out there? 264 00:18:38.160 --> 00:18:44.200 So it wasn't just one isolated issue. I think this goes back. I 265 00:18:44.200 --> 00:18:48.079 think it's bigger than that. And again I love Doc Rivers and Clipper Nation 266 00:18:48.119 --> 00:18:52.119 has to be grateful for what he did for the organization. Well, a 267 00:18:52.200 --> 00:18:55.880 final thought on this, Adam, I think Balmber pulled the trigger here not 268 00:18:56.000 --> 00:18:59.640 just because of the coming up short, but I think also because of the 269 00:18:59.680 --> 00:19:03.599 Lakers success. I mean, this is devastating. This is the Clippers finally 270 00:19:03.880 --> 00:19:11.400 had started to assume some very small toll hold and legitimacy in the marketplace and 271 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:15.160 acknowledgement of the marketplace and in a year where they were expected to, if 272 00:19:15.160 --> 00:19:19.079 not win, it be right there to go out like that, while the 273 00:19:19.200 --> 00:19:22.599 Lakers can turn around and win the title. I think it sets the Clippers 274 00:19:22.599 --> 00:19:26.559 back years and what they were trying to do. And I think that's another 275 00:19:26.599 --> 00:19:30.839 reason Bomber did it. I'll bet you if the Lakers had not had the 276 00:19:30.880 --> 00:19:33.680 success they've had this year, Doc would still be the coach. Well, 277 00:19:33.720 --> 00:19:37.920 we'll never know about that, but I'm not sure it sets them back years 278 00:19:37.160 --> 00:19:41.559 if they go on to win the championship next year, which is entirely possible. 279 00:19:42.200 --> 00:19:45.880 And look the Lakers the way they took out the Denver Nuggets in five 280 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:49.119 games. They were able to get Nikola Yokis in foul trouble. They had 281 00:19:49.119 --> 00:19:53.519 the right strategy, they had the right plan, and maybe that plays a 282 00:19:53.559 --> 00:19:56.319 factor in all this, and it puts more pressure on you to have to 283 00:19:56.359 --> 00:20:02.039 win. But I told you after they lost that this was the most disappointing 284 00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:07.000 season in the history of the Clippers franchise. After being the most successful offseason, 285 00:20:07.359 --> 00:20:10.880 it turned out to be the most disappointing season because they did not reach 286 00:20:10.960 --> 00:20:15.680 the expectations, which are championship or bust. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. 287 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:18.559 By the way, they can opt out after next year. So the pressure 288 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:22.680 is on. Whoever is hired is going to know that this is a high 289 00:20:22.759 --> 00:20:27.559 pressure situation where you have to win a championship, and that's what you want 290 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:32.400 as a fan. You want your team going for it every year, especially 291 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:34.319 when they have this level of talent, and that's what Steve Balmer is going 292 00:20:34.359 --> 00:20:37.839 to bring the Clippers. Yeah, it's gonna be a Kawhi friendly coach for 293 00:20:37.880 --> 00:20:45.799 sure. What about the rumors that Phil Jackson's been thrown out there? Adam 294 00:20:45.960 --> 00:20:51.240 Oh, come on, is he gonna zoom in? Look, he's the 295 00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:53.640 greatest modern coach in the history of the end. He got a ready made 296 00:20:53.720 --> 00:20:57.839 championship ready to go. Come on. I don't know if he's the guy 297 00:21:00.079 --> 00:21:03.240 the Lakers might have already got him back if he had any inkling to coach 298 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:07.759 again, or if he had that itch. I don't think that's a situation, 299 00:21:07.799 --> 00:21:11.319 but you never know. With this Clippers front office. We didn't see 300 00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:14.039 this coming, just like we didn't see the Blake trade coming, just like 301 00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:18.279 we didn't see the Tobias Harris trade coming. Just like all the reports were 302 00:21:18.319 --> 00:21:22.079 saying Kawhi Leonard was going to end up with the Lakers, and then that 303 00:21:22.119 --> 00:21:26.960 Clippers front office that works in stealth landed him and Paul George something no one 304 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:30.160 else saw coming. All right, Adam, appreciate you hanging out today, 305 00:21:30.240 --> 00:21:32.079 all right, Love you guys.