In what proved to be a surprising move, the L.A. Clippers decided to part ways with their head coach, Doc Rivers, on Monday. Rivers had been the team's play caller for seven years, and it's not yet clear who his replacement might be.
According to a report from Jovan Buha of The Athletic, there is no clear-cut favorite to replace Rivers. The Clippers have already begun their search, but the process could take several weeks:
As the Clippers move forward, they are embarking on a thorough coaching search. There is no clear-cut No. 1 candidate yet. The hiring process could take several weeks, though the team is open to offering the position to the right candidate immediately. This was a not a move they made with another coach waiting in the wings to be hired, league sources said.
Despite the demands of the high-profile gig — the next coach will enter a daunting win-now situation — the Clippers will also examine first-year head coaches. The team will study a multitude of candidates in an attempt to uncover its own version of a (Tyronn) Lue, Steve Kerr or Nick Nurse — coaches who won a championship in their first year of coaching — league sources said.
The Clippers fought hard in the regular season, finishing with a 49-23 overall record and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. However, L.A. saw their 2019-20 campaign come to an end in the semifinal round, as they were defeated by the Denver Nuggets in a seven-game series. This unfortunate end to their season came as a surprise to most analysts, as the Clippers were viewed as one of the best teams in the NBA. Making things a bit worse is the fact that L.A. gave up a 3-1 lead to Denver in their second round matchup.
Prior to the start of this season, the Clippers acquired two All-Star players in Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. Even with this new talent on the roster, the team fell short of expectations.
For now, we'll have to wait and see who the Clippers bring in for interviews.
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