Although it’s unlikely he wins the award, the LA Clippers’ Doc Rivers deserves to be in the running for Coach of the Year.
Doc Rivers has been truly special both this and last season. The LA Clippers’ head coach led the team to playoff contention last season, even after trading away both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and now has the team sitting at the 6th seed despite not having an All-Star and having traded away arguably their best player in Tobias Harris.
It’s not an easy task to have this team of “role players” where they are in such a superstar driven league. And yet, Doc has coached this team through it all to success that very few, if any, people predicted.
While he does have the Clips sitting firmly in the playoffs with a record of 36-29, the numbers just don’t jump off the page enough to get the mainstream media attention. The NBA’s Coach of the Year Award is usually heavily predicated on team record, so it stands to reason that Doc won’t receive many, if any votes. He deserves them though. Just look at the tweets coming out today after the Clippers absolutely trounced the Boston Celtics.
“No one has done a better job than Doc (Rivers). He’s done an amazing job. He’s an amazing coach,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after loss to Rivers’ Clippers.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) March 12, 2019
It’s nice to see game recognize game. Brad Stevens is one of the league’s premiere young coaches and realizes how well Doc has performed this season.
The Clippers are in sole possession of the No. 6 seed in the West and are just two games back of the No. 5 seed. During the "Lob City" years, the Clippers were in the 4-5 first round playoff series in four of those six seasons. Amazing they could be there again with this roster.
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) March 12, 2019
Beating expectations? Big time. Doc did get some love from Zach Lowe as well.
Doc Rivers deserves real consideration for Coach of the Year. Clips have upended their team via trade two years in a row, are starting two rookie guards and a relatively anonymous third-year center -- and making a strong playoff push. Lou/Trez is the best bench show in the league
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) March 12, 2019
Consideration is at least something to come from Lowe who has a vote in the award race, but it’s a tough pill to swallow knowing that Doc absolutely coached his tail off and will get nothing to show for it.
That’s not to say the coach that ends up winning the award isn’t undeserving. Mike Budenholzer has turned Milwaukee into a real contender with his overhaul of their offensive system. Mike Malone has also taken a very deep and talented Denver Nuggets team and has made them into a squad that could possibly challenge the Warriors in a seven game series.
The Clips have once again taken the backseat to the Lakers in the mainstream media and Luke Walton (who will likely be fired) is talked about more than Doc and his success. That’s okay. Clippers fans know we have .