Preseason 2014

Robyn Dixon

Los Angeles – Head coach Doc Rivers and the Clippers share a court with the rival Lakers, but they also can recognize and respect greatness when they see it on the other side.

The Clippers paid their respects Friday to Lakers guard Steve Nash, who’s now expected to miss the entire season with a back injury.

Rivers went further than calling Nash a great player. He called the 40-year-old one of the best point guards to play the game, saying Nash reminded him of Isaiah Thomas and John Stockton.

“You know, those smaller point guards that had big hearts and did a lot of stuff,” Rivers said. “Back-to-back MVP at his size, just amazing. So, you know, and I think he did a lot of things for the game. I think the great ones, to me, they make the game different, and I think Nash did that with his movement, being an aggressive scorer but also a facilitator, finishing under the rim.”

Nash won the MVP in 2005 and 2006 with the Suns. He shot more than 50 percent from the floor from the 2004-05 season to the 2009-10 season in Phoenix,  all while dishing out more than 700 assists and scoring more than 1,100 points every season through that stretch. He’s also an eight-time All-Star.
Clippers guard Chris Paul said it was unbelievable when he heard the news, calling it “probably one of the most unfortunate things” he’s heard.

“Not only is he a two-time MVP, one of the best point guards to ever play the game, but he’s also a great guy,” Paul said. “A guy that, when I was in college, I used to watch all the time. I’ll never forget – when I came into the NBA, he was the guy that I was coming after. He was the guy. I remember the night before I played him for the first time, I couldn’t sleep. I wanted to play against him so bad. So it’s unfortunate, and I wish him the best.”

Clippers guard J.J. Redick shared similar thoughts. He said he felt bad when he heard the news, but he also said Nash was able to extract the most out of his career and his potential, calling him “one of probably the top five greatest point guards of all time.”

“He’s an obvious Hall of Famer and someone that I’ve gotten to know over the last couple years, and he’s been great with me,” Redick said. “Picked his brain a few times. We had a little meeting before I went back to Austin for the summer back in May, and he sat with me for an hour and a half and let me pick his brain.

“I know how much he wants to play, that’s for sure. He made that very clear to me, and I’m sure he’s made that clear to all the people around him, how much he loves playing. That’s where I feel for him. He’s a guy that just loves to play. To not be able to do it is sad.”

Nash, after playing in at least 60 games each year from the 2000-01 season to the 2011-12 season, has played just 65 games the last two seasons for the Lakers. Rivers said it’s sad to see this happen, but let out a laugh and said it’s to be expected at Nash’s age.

“I looked at it that way, too,” Rivers said. “But he’s had a great career, obviously a first ballot Hall of Fame career. That’s how we should look at it.”

rivers-nash-just-made-the-game-different

Rivers: Nash Just Made The Game Different

Karen Song

LOS ANGELES – If one player’s going to dominate the stat line in the dress rehearsal for the regular season, it might as well be Blake Griffin.

Head coach Doc Rivers played his starters for two and a half quarters in a 99-89 loss to the Trail Blazers in the preseason finale Friday at STAPLES Center. Griffin once again featured his improved jump shot and led the way with 21 points in 25 minutes, while Chris Paul dished out 11 assists and scored eight points in 21 minutes.

The Clippers only won two preseason games, but perhaps more importantly, they’ll head into the regular season with a lot of rest and a healthy squad. The Clippers don't start the regular season until Oct. 30, giving them five days of rest and practice.

Rivers gave Jamal Crawford the night off Friday to make sure he’s healthy for the regular season opener, and the starting five will all be ready to go when games start to matter. In addition, Jordan Farmar’s back healed up enough for him to return to action and get 22:52 of playing time Friday.

The Clippers made a late run against the Blazers, capped by a CJ Wilcox three-pointer to cut the deficit to four points with less than a minute left, but it wasn’t enough.

Forward Hedo Turkoglu made the most of his time with eight points in 14 minutes. J.J. Redick and Jared Cunningham both scores 12 points and were the other Clippers other than Griffin in double digits.

clippers-fall-99-89-in-preseason-finale-to-trail-blazers

Clippers Fall, 99-89, In Preseason Finale To Trail Blazers

photos-clippers-vs-blazers-10-24-14

Photos: Clippers vs. Blazers | 10/24/14

Marcus Fong

LOS ANGELES – Jamal Crawford will sit out the final preseason game tonight against the Trail Blazers.

Head coach Doc Rivers said prior to Friday’s game that neither Crawford nor Glen Davis (groin) will be playing, but guard Jordan Farmar (back) will be available. Rivers described Crawford as hurting, but not hurt.

“It’s not serious,” Rivers said. “I just decided, why even take any chances? If it was a regular season game, he could play tonight, for sure.”

Rivers said it could be a hamstring issue, while Crawford wouldn’t elaborate much on what’s bothering him. He described himself as a little banged up, but he wouldn’t say he has a specific injury. This is the second straight game Crawford, who’s shooting 60 percent from deep this preseason, has rested.

The eighth and final preseason game is an interesting one for head coaches, who try to get their regulars back into rhythm but don’t want their players to get hurt. That said, Rivers said coaches can’t worry about injuries, because they happen.

“When you see a player where you feel like he’s not trying to get hurt, you get him out, because he will,” Rivers said. “Then when you see a player going for it, you play him, because he’s telling you by his actions he needs to play more.”

Rivers is looking for better play from his second group with Crawford out. He said that group is dependent on Crawford and Spencer Hawes for offense, and the group’s struggled without Crawford in the lineup.

“We probably knew that anyway, but if we didn’t know it, we know it now,” Rivers said. “So first half, I’m going to try to play guys pretty normal minutes. Second half, I don’t know if I’ll play anybody. I’m not sure. I guess I’ve got to play five, but I’m not sure who will play. I’m going to just watch the game and see what Portland does.”

crawford-to-get-another-night-off-in-preseason-finale

Crawford To Get Another Night Off In Preseason Finale

nbaplatformservices

rivers-addresses-nash-injury-10-24-14

Rivers: Addresses Nash Injury | 10/24/14

DeAndre Jordan at Universal's Halloween Horror Nights

deandre-jordan-at-universals-halloween-horror-nights

LOS ANGELES – The Clippers don’t want to dismiss tonight’s dress rehearsal for the regular season.  

Tonight’s matchup against the Blazers marks the Clippers eighth and final preseason game. Rather than look past it to the games that will actually count, Chris Paul and the Clippers hope to use it as a jumping off point.

Paul referred to the game as a dress rehearsal. It’s a matchup he takes seriously against a Blazers team the Clippers will see again at STAPLES Center Nov. 8 in the regular season.

While the Clippers have had to get accustomed to a variety of lineups with typical starters getting rest days the last few games, Paul believes all hands will be on deck tonight.

“I think right now we’re just looking forward to this game and getting ready to get out there,” Paul said.

Even if Wednesday’s win against the Suns and tonight’s game against the Blazers won’t go toward the Clippers’ ultimate record, the Clippers do have the opportunity to get a two-game winning streak heading into the regular season. That would mark the first such streak of the preseason for the Clippers.

Paul’s coming off a performance with 34 points, nine assists, five rebounds and four steals in a back-and-forth matchup against the Suns. Paul said he thought the Clippers played better in that game Wednesday, but he added that the team was one lucky shot away from losing.

Guard J.J. Redick said the Clippers needed to get that close-game feel back. Redick said there’s something to be gained from pulling out a win like that, even if it is in the preseason. 

“We’ve had two of those in the preseason,” Redick said. “The other one was Utah. Then we’ve had some games where there’s just a lot of frustration and didn’t play particularly well. We’re just like any other team this time of year. We’re trying to build something, and any game like the other night is good for us.”

“I know how much he wants to play, that’s for sure,” Redick said. “He made that very clear to me, and I’m sure he’s made that clear to all the people around him, how much he loves playing. That’s where I feel for him. He’s a guy that just loves to play. To not be able to do it is sad.”

final-preseason-shootaround-report-game-8-vs-blazers

Final Preseason Shootaround Report: Game 8 vs. Blazers

LOS ANGELES – Before Doc Rivers ever held the title of head coach, long before he coached the Celtics to a championship in 2008 and before he was named NBA Coach of the Year in 2000, the Clippers’ coach was an analyst.

So it only makes sense that as Steve Kerr makes the move from analyst to head coach of the Warriors, he absorbs all the knowledge he can from the head coach who made the transition as seamless as anyone.

Kerr said Rivers is great to talk to about the NBA, and considering his similar path from player to analyst to coach in the league, Rivers was particularly helpful to Kerr.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of Doc’s,” Kerr said. “He’s one of the best in the business, so for him to give me some council while I was going through the process, it meant a lot to me.”

Sometimes, the advice imparted by a veteran head coach can be trivial. Other times, it can make an impact on a major life decision.

Rivers believes in Kerr as a coach and wasn’t hesitant to lend his advice when Kerr had a decision to make this offseason. Kerr was one of the league’s hottest commodities in the head coaching market, and he eventually chose the Warriors over the Knicks.

Now, Rivers will see the Warriors’ new head coach four times a year.

“He’s a good guy,” Rivers said. “It’s more during the time where clearly he had two choices, and we talked a lot about that. Without saying what I told him, I thought he ended up in the right place.”

Kerr’s not the only one to embark on a new journey as an NBA head coach this year. The last four teams the Clippers have played in the preseason featured head coaches in their first or second years in Quin Snyder (Jazz), Brian Shaw (Nuggets), Kerr (Warriors) and Jeff Hornacek (Suns).

Shaw and Hornacek are entering their second year as the head coaches of their respective teams, while Snyder and Kerr are NBA head coaches for the first time this year. Rivers, who’s coached in the NBA since 1999 and has kept his winning percentage above .500 each of his past seven seasons, is someone those coaches admire.

“To be a young coach, particularly in the NBA, he’s one of the people that I think all of us look up to,” Snyder said. “Certainly for me, there’s a level of respect there that he’s as good as he is.”

Rivers’ Clippers played two games against Snyder’s Jazz this preseason, losing the first and taking the second. After that first loss, Rivers spoke to Snyder in a gesture the Jazz coach appreciated.

“I’ve had a lot of people that have impacted me,” Snyder said. “He’s one of them.”

That impact doesn’t have to always be verbal. Even when Rivers isn’t purposely imparting knowledge on the younger head coaches, many of them are still learning from the veteran coach.

“There’s an inbounds play they ran against us and I put it in the next day,” Snyder said. “There’s a tactical part of it, and there’s also just his presence and the way he handles players and handles people. I appreciate that.”

For beginning head coaches such as Kerr and Snyder, the smallest gestures from veteran head coaches can go a long way as they figure out how they want to run their teams.

Kerr’s still getting a feel for practice tempo and practice standards that he wants his players to understand. He realized in Las Vegas in July that drawing up plays on a whiteboard wasn’t something that came natural to him, so he used those weeks in the summer to get more comfortable with that.

Kerr will have plenty of time now to get acquainted with his new team as he makes the move from analyst to head coach. Rivers, who’s well aware of what it takes to make that move, joked that Kerr’s actually “got to work now for a living.”

“I invited him to golf with me on Sunday and he actually emailed me back, ‘Excuse me sir, I have a job now,’” Rivers said before playing the Warriors on Tuesday. “He was right. I didn’t know they played on Sunday. Too bad for him. It was fantastic.”