After the unceremonious departure of Doc Rivers as the Coach of the LA Clippers, the franchise is under pressure to hire the right coach they feel can finally take them over the top.
With the Los Angeles Lakers winning the 2020 bubble championship, it puts more emphasis on the front office to find a coach who can get the most out of this talented roster. I’m sure owner Steve Ballmer is tired of being referred to as “the other tenant” in the Staples Center.
Perceived chemistry issue must be addressed
Before I get into the obvious question of who should replace Rivers, the question that should be asked is if the LA Clippers really have a chemistry issue. There were rumblings during the playoffs of confrontations between Montrezl Harrell and Paul George. Also, during the regular season, there were times where George and Kawhi Leonard didn’t look to be on the same page when it came to offensive efficiency.
In my humble opinion, I’ve seen teams with much worse chemistry issues than what the Clippers may have had. When it comes down to it, the team just didn’t get it done in crunch time. Blowing a 3 games to 1 lead against the Denver Nuggets was the nail in the coffin for Doc Rivers. He is the only coach to blow three 3-1 series leads.
Even with all of the talent the Clippers’ possess, the new coach will have his work cut out for him.
Who will take the Clippers to the next level?
Now we get to the fun part!
My Clipperholic friends want to know which hotshot coach is going to finally lead this franchise to its first ever NBA Championship.
I’ve heard several names being bandied about; some of them NBA coaching rejects, and others who may deserve a second shot.
I’ve heard a name like Mike D’Antoni, who wins a lot of regular season games but hasn’t delivered on the big prize. I’ve heard someone like David Fizdale, who was a disaster in New York (anyone would be a disaster in New York!).
This is going to come down to two names: Mike Brown, Associate Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors, and Tyronn Lue, Assistant Head Coach of the Clippers.
If you’re dissecting these two coaches, they’re really 1 and 1A. Mike Brown had winning seasons in Cleveland, although he is the only coach to win 60 games in consecutive seasons and not make it to the NBA Finals. He was able to take the Cavs to the Championship in 2007, where they were swept by the more talented San Antonio Spurs.
Lue coached the Cavs to the 2016 NBA Championship after taking over for David Blatt. However, in successive season in 2017 & 2018, they lost to a more talented Golden State squad.
The common denominator on all of those teams for both coaches: LeBron James.
If I had my druthers, I would hire Tyronn Lue as the next coach of the Clippers. He knows the players, and I think he’s a more personable coach than Brown. Also, the Clippers are already good defensively. I think they need a more offensive-minded coach, and that coach should be Tyronn Lue.
Whichever one gets the gig will immediately be put on the hot seat. In order not to be considered as “the other tenant” again next season, it will be a championship or bust.