Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul George had some words for his former coach.
On a podcast by "All The Smoke," George bluntly called out Doc Rivers for the problems that he had encountered with the team.
George talked about how unhappy he was with his role. He mentioned that he could not cope with the changes as Rivers wanted him to be a shooter.
According to George, Rivers had high expectations of him, wanting him to be the next Ray Allen or J.J. Reddick in the making. "I can do it. But that ain't my game."
His run with the Clippers was ebbing despite averaging 21.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game during the regular season. He helped his team claim the second spot in the battle of the West teams in the NBA.
However, Doc Rivers had already parted ways with the Clippers as head coach last September. Rivers, who coached the Los Angeles underdog team, transformed the Clippers into a powerhouse with a 356-208 record in total. However, the finals campaign of the team was still not on his book.
Paul George's playoff berth with the Clippers has come at a cost. The Los Angeles Clippers reached the semifinals of the Western Conference but fell short at the hands of the darkhorse Denver Nuggets.
That was one of George's frustrations, as he said that Doc Rivers did not make any adjustments during the game.
"During that whole process, we never worked on adjustments, we never worked on what to do differently. Just literally having the same s--- happening over and over again."
Some rumors had it that George's resentment started during the 3-1 blowout. George could only wallow in disbelief after saying that they did not practice the whole year, especially during the playoffs.
The blowout disappointment got on George's nerves. The mere fact is that Doc Rivers is the only head coach to have experienced a 3-1 blowout thrice in his career.
The first one was with the Clippers five years ago. The other one was in 2003 when Rivers mentored Orlando Magic.
Related Article: Paul George 'Tempted' To Sign With Los Angeles Lakers: Here's Why He Chose To Stay With Oklahoma City Thunder
In a report by Bleacher, Clippers superstar Kawhi Leonard and George received special treatment, which undermined the other players of the team.
The blaming tradition could have been given justice if both sides were fair. His emotional connection towards Rivers reflected on his post-season performance. He only shot 39.8 percent in his playoff run, a possible factor why the Clippers failed to recover from a disheartening loss in Denver.
Currently, the Clippers have acquired Serge Ibaka, Nicolas Batum, and Luke Kennard for their 2021 lineup. On the other hand, the 2020 Sixth Man of the Year, Montrezl Harrell, has joined the Los Angeles Lakers.
In place of Doc Rivers, ESPN reporter Adrian Wojnarowski said assistant coach Tyrone Lue and New York Knicks head coach Jeff Van Gundy are likely to be the next head coach of the Clippers.
Now that Doc Rivers is gone, Paul George and his squad will look after the team's capability to exceed what they could have done before.
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