Chris Paul’s sudden exit from the Clippers has put Doc Rivers squarely under the microscope as he tries to construct a winning formula for a team that was built around Chris Paul. Rivers is now tasked with winning without the team’s best player, and in a recent press conference, Rivers was asked what will be the biggest difference in play style without Chris Paul leading the offense. Doc Rivers gave the following response:
Biggest difference in style of play with Chris Paul gone … 'We'll have ball movement' — @DocRivers @LAClippers @HoopsonFOX pic.twitter.com/ICowfwyAG6
— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) July 18, 2017
Yes, there is an element of shade in there, as Rivers is implying that the old offense was too depended on Chris Paul having the ball in his hands. It’s a surprising comment given that Chris Paul has always been a pass first point guard that aims to get his teammates involved. What ever the intent of his comments, Rivers is responsible for designing an offense that maximized his team’s strengths, so if it went away from his pass/cut philosophy, he has only himself to blame, and it’s unfair to bring up Chris Paul as a scape goat for lack of ball movement.
This is yet another example of how hard NBA breakups can be for grown men.