The early stages of Doc Rivers’s tenure as head coach of the Milwaukee Bucks haven’t gone as planned, but he apparently nailed the assessment of James Harden’s fit with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Los Angeles reached out to Rivers before its blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia 76ers, and he was all for it.
“I was the one, obviously, they consulted,” Doc Rivers told Tomer Azarly of ClutchPoints. “They made calls and I was one of the guys who said it would be a great deal for them because I thought he fit them better than he would fit the Sixers team. I think he’s a perfect fit there.
“It’s a league. We talk. They just talked, asked questions, and I was on board early.”
It’s not all that surprising to hear this, as Rivers was the Clippers’ coach for seven seasons from 2013-14 to 2019-20, but it coming to light now when he’s the head coach in Milwaukee is interesting. Rivers took over for the Bucks after the team parted ways with first-year head coach Adrian Griffin in a controversial move, as he had led the team to a 30–13 mark, and they sat as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Since Rivers accepted the job, the Bucks have gone 3-7 and not only slipped to No. 3 in the East but also hold just a 1.5-game advantage on the No. 4 seed New York Knicks.
As for Harden and the Clippers, the fit has come together beautifully. He’s averaging 17.5 points, 8.4 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game while shooting 42.1% from three-point range. Most importantly, the Clippers sit as the No. 3 seed in a tough Western Conference, and after a five-game losing streak to begin Harden’s tenure, they’ve lost back-to-back games just once and boast a 36–17 record.
