Doc Rivers and the Los Angeles Clippers will be among the 22 teams partaking in the “bubble” games at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The team will be staying at the Gran Destino hotel, per Shams Charania of The Athletic.
During a call with Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, Rivers spoke about what he and his staff are doing to make sure the Clippers players are “mentally sharp” once the “bubble” games begin on July 30.
Doc Rivers to Steve Kerr & Pete Carroll about the Clippers preparing for Orlando: "We're trying to establish activities to keep everybody mentally sharp. We're ordering ping pong tables, pool tables, video games. We're doing everything possible to try to create a normal life."
— Drew Shiller (@DrewShiller) June 16, 2020
Led by superstars and California natives Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers racked up 44 wins before the season was suspended in March. LAC is in second place in the Western Conference. Only the Los Angeles Lakers (49-14) have a better record than the Clips.
It's worth mentioning, though, that Doc Rivers' squad went 2-1 against the Lakers.
For the first time in franchise history (sorry, Lob City fans), the Clippers are legitimate title contenders with Leonard and George leading the charge. Prior to games getting suspended, Leonard was averaging 26.9 points, 7.3 boards and 5.0 assists. The two-time Finals has been getting plenty of rest during the hiatus.
It's fair to say that no one in the NBA wants to see a fresh Leonard in the playoffs, especially since load management helped Kawhi win the 2019 title with the Toronto Raptors.
George, meanwhile, is putting up 21.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists in his first campaign with the Clippers. The hiatus had to be beneficial for him as well since he underwent not one, but two shoulder surgeries last summer.
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