After yet another sour early exit from the postseason, L.A. Clippers president and head coach Doc Rivers joined ESPN's Mike & Mike and spoke on several topics, including Chris Paul‘s imminent free agency, and Kevin Durant‘s impact in a bolstered Golden State Warriors offense.
Rivers insisted as he did earlier in last year's offseason that the addition of Durant to a now super team like the Warriors is making it tough for those wanting to watch good, competitive basketball in the playoffs.
Article Continues Below“It is tough when you see a guy join a team — in Durant’s case what he did this year,” Rivers said. “That was tough for anybody, anybody’s that’s competitive, to watch. He lost, and then he joined. Having said that, it was his choice, I have no problem with him, but it’s something from a competitive standpoint, you would think you wouldn’t do.
“I have no problem with him doing it, it’s just something from a competitive point, for me, I guess when I played it would have been tough for me to join Detroit. Having said that, he has the ability to do it, guys are doing it, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
While Rivers doesn't seem to have a personal issue with Durant, he was clearly bothered with the formation of super teams while his team is bound to be potentially disbanded due to salary cap impediments.
Funnily enough, Doc himself was part of one of the first super trios of the modern era, when Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett joined Paul Pierce in Boston, immediately making a middle-of-the-pack team into a championship contender.
Since the situation here is different, due to the Warriors already being a championship-caliber team, Rivers insisted that the league has taken measures to prevent the issue from expanding, but that it wouldn't completely put a lid on it, as the rule only encases players at a certain time of their careers.