Doc sees ‘no gap’ between the Clippers and Warriors
An NBA coach exuding confidence in his team? What a surprise. That’s exactly what we’d expect on media day, especially from Doc Rivers, who’s had to maintain strong, positive leadership through some tough times since joining the LA Clippers.
However, some of Doc’s confidence on Monday was particularly strong.
When he said that he doesn’t think there’s a gap between the Clippers and Kevin Durant’s Golden State Warriors, many were rightfully startled.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne reported what Doc had to say about how close the Clippers are to the Warriors:
"“I think we can play with anybody, and we don’t feel like there’s a gap. That’s all we have to prove, and I think everyone has to prove that. “I know history very well in this league, and there’s been a lot of superteams put together, quote-unquote, superteams, and I know the history. I feel comfortable where we’re at.”"
When the Warriors essentially swapped Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut for Durant, their leap forward was undeniable.
Sure, they’ve lost some size and rim protection with the loss of Bogut and Festus Ezeli, but they’ve gained someone in Durant who showed in the playoffs how elite he can be with his length defensively.
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And when he’s the dream piece to create the “Death Star Lineup” as a drastic upgrade over Barnes, adding immense shot creation, length, and a highly dominant post-up game as well (something Golden State could have used in the Finals), the Warriors’ offense became so good, more than their 73-9 good, that there’s no denying they’re ahead than everyone else (light years ahead, you could say).
I won’t go into all the reasons and analysis now, because I think we can all agree that the LA Clippers aren’t better than these new Warriors.
To continue from Doc’s bold words, his son, Austin, has set some big personal goals for himself in 2016-17. How he progresses is one of the most important stories of the bench.