When teams start slow, the first target of blame is almost always the coach. On Sunday night, Washington Wizards guard Austin Rivers did his best to make sure his coach avoided this criticism.

The Wizards had just lost their fifth game of the season, falling to the Clippers in ugly fashion, 136-104. The disappointing start has led to the questioning of head coach Scott Brooks' ability to lead the team to success.

Rivers made sure to dispel this notion in the press conference after the game, defending his coach and putting the blame squarely on the players' shoulders.

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This is a stand-up move by the recently acquired wing. Rivers could have easily thrown some of the blame on Brooks, considering the team has been underperforming badly to start this season. Instead, he took the high road and manned up for the loss.

While it probably isn't 100 percent the players' fault for the underwhelming start, Rivers is right that most of the Wizards have not been playing up to par.

The Wizards allowed the Clippers to shoot 54.4 percent from the field on Sunday night, an inexcusable figure. This comes after allowing Stephen Curry to burn them for 51 points in three quarters and a terrible loss to the Sacramento Kings. For a team that is supposed to have a solid spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race, the Wizards have looked miserable on defense, allowing each of their opponents to score above 110 points.

While it's nice to see a player have his coach's back, Brooks will almost certainly lose his job midseason if the team doesn't shape up fast.