What Will be Considered a Successful Season for Doc & Clips?

[sed522002]

The Clips look like they're in a win now mode and they believe Doc can get them over the hump. If they don't win a title next yr is it a fail?

[Ogaju]

no its not a fail. The Clippers do not expect to win a chip so its no fail.

[PhoSita]

Getting past the second round.  Anything less would be a failure.

[sed522002]

Getting past the second round.  Anything less would be a failure.

That's my thinking..WCF would be a good accomplishment for the franchise.

[Boris Badenov]

The Clips look like they're in a win now mode and they believe Doc can get them over the hump. If they don't win a title next yr is it a fail?

Good question.

I certainly think Doc himself will be under a huge amount of pressure. He was just hired as the highest-paid coach in the league (again), by a team that surrendered a first-round pick just to land him, in a complete media circus.

[blink]

Getting past the second round.  Anything less would be a failure.

I agree with this.  Got to take the next step WCF.

[hpantazo]

I think by Donald Sterling's measures, it will depend on ticket sales and merchandise sales totals. That's it.

[sed522002]

The Clips look like they're in a win now mode and they believe Doc can get them over the hump. If they don't win a title next yr is it a fail?

Good question.

I certainly think Doc himself will be under a huge amount of pressure. He was just hired as the highest-paid coach in the league (again), by a team that surrendered a first-round pick just to land him, in a complete media circus.

I think his coaching is going to be under a HUGE microscope next season and LA media will pounce on anything.

[hpantazo]

Not being last in the league in rebounding will be considered a success for them next season too.

[JOMVP]

Sterling only cares about one thing: dolla' bills son.

As long as the Clippers are making money, he will think they were a success.

[blink]

The Clips look like they're in a win now mode and they believe Doc can get them over the hump. If they don't win a title next yr is it a fail?

Good question.

I certainly think Doc himself will be under a huge amount of pressure. He was just hired as the highest-paid coach in the league (again), by a team that surrendered a first-round pick just to land him, in a complete media circus.

I think his coaching is going to be under a HUGE microscope next season and LA media will pounce on anything.

I agree with the additional pressure.  That has an impact.  But also I honestly don't think that the clippers as constructed now (no kg, and no PP) don't really have the players to go deep in the playoffs against SAS, OKC, and Memphis.  They still haven't learned how to adjust their game into the higher pressure / slower pace of playoff bball.
You can't expect to out run and gun and lob city other good teams out of the playoffs.

I guess if they don't get kg & PP they will make some other moves.  Doc can help, but they really need to improve their 1/2 court efficiency on offense and crank the D up another level.  It will be interesting to see how it turns out.

[Boris Badenov]

Well, that didn't take long:

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/9415667/acquiring-head-coach-doc-rivers-forever-enhance-los-angeles-clippers-image

"Their metamorphosis from laughing stock to championship contender is complete. They will not only be one of the favorites to win the title next season..."

"Rivers is the kind of coach that Paul and Griffin, who have never advanced past the second of the playoffs, have been yearning for. He's a coach who has won an NBA title and can show Paul and Griffin what it takes to be champions. He's a coach with a voice that commands the respect of everyone in the locker room and won't be seen as a puppet for any player. He's a coach who can mold a talented roster into a championship team, just as Phil Jackson did with the Lakers, Popovich did with the Spurs and, well, Rivers did with the Celtics."

"The culture change is complete. The perception has been forever altered. The Clippers are officially here for the long haul."

[jaketwice]

With the exception of Caron Butler, the Clipper big men are not great free throw shooters (Jordan is astonishingly bad).

When everyone is paying attention, it's hard to imagine opposing teams not taking advantage of this fact.

...although Griffin did do much better in the playoffs, which is encouraging.

[sed522002]

Well, that didn't take long:

http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/9415667/acquiring-head-coach-doc-rivers-forever-enhance-los-angeles-clippers-image

"Their metamorphosis from laughing stock to championship contender is complete. They will not only be one of the favorites to win the title next season..."

"Rivers is the kind of coach that Paul and Griffin, who have never advanced past the second of the playoffs, have been yearning for. He's a coach who has won an NBA title and can show Paul and Griffin what it takes to be champions. He's a coach with a voice that commands the respect of everyone in the locker room and won't be seen as a puppet for any player. He's a coach who can mold a talented roster into a championship team, just as Phil Jackson did with the Lakers, Popovich did with the Spurs and, well, Rivers did with the Celtics."

"The culture change is complete. The perception has been forever altered. The Clippers are officially here for the long haul."

WOW 

[greenhead85]

Winning their first round playoff series.

And losing a game 7 in the 2nd round.