The Boston Celtics’ “Big-3” era is proof that Doc Rivers is perfect for new-look Los Angeles Clippers

With their newly formed superteam, expectations are through the roof for the Los Angeles Clippers heading into the 2019-20 season. If the Boston Celtics’ “Big-3” era — spanning from 2007-2012 — is any indicator, Doc Rivers is the perfect man to run the show in LA.

Though talent may be a huge factor in whether or not a team succeeds, it takes a strong and commanding presence in order to have them reach their full potential. The 2007-08 Boston Celtics were a team teeming with talent. Ultimately, that talent led them to championship number 17 that same year.

For the five years that followed, the Celtics remained a massive force to be reckoned with, and even made its way to another Finals appearance in 2010. While Boston’s sustained success throughout their “Big-3” era can be attributed to the team’s talented contributors, it is undeniable that Head Coach Doc Rivers‘ fiery demeanor and ability to properly game plan around the strength of his stars’ skillsets were instrumental in the team’s ability to consistently be great.

Like all good things, the “Big-3” era came to an end when Ray Allen defected to the Miami Heat in the summer of 2012 after LeBron James had led them to their second title in franchise history. The bridge to the 2008 title-team was nuked a summer later when Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were traded to the Brooklyn Nets. Its ashes were further incinerated when the last remaining link, Rajon Rondo, was sent to the Dallas Mavericks in 2014.

Rivers himself was even traded (the only coaching change that had previously occurred was when Stan Van Gundy was traded to the Magic) to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2013 because he did not want to partake in what was expected to be a lengthy rebuild for the Boston Celtics. Thankfully Boston was able to expedite their rebuild and return to the playoffs in 2015 after replacing Rondo with Isaiah Thomas. Regardless, Rivers was valued so highly by the Clippers that they sent over an unprotected 2015 first round draft pick for his services.

Six years later, it’s hard to say who actually won in the exchange. On the one hand, Los Angeles acquired a perennial Coach of the Year candidate while the Celtics are coming off of their fourth postseason appearance, two of which saw Eastern Conference Finals runs. The winning only figures to continue for both the Boston Celtics and Rivers this coming season.

Objectively, Kawhi Leonard is the most talented player Rivers has ever coached. Paul George isn’t that far behind. To say the 2019-20 LA Clippers look great on paper doesn’t quite scratch the surface of how impressive this team can be. Consider what Rivers has already accomplished with lesser Clippers squads.

In his first season as Clippers head coach, Rivers led the “Lob City” trio of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan to 57 wins and a playoff elimination of the Golden State Warriors. LA actually holds the distinction of being the last team in the Western Conference to eliminate Steph Curry’s Warriors.

In the seasons that followed, Rivers was able to elevate LA to three 50 win seasons before sign-and-trading Paul to the Houston Rockets and jettisoning Griffin to the Detroit Pistons mid-season in 2017. After missing the playoffs for the first time since 2007, Rivers’ Clippers roared back in 2019, with a surprise 48 win season led by — *scratches eyeballs* — Danilo Gallinari, Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell and Landry Shamet.

Gallinari is the only piece that hasn’t returned. In his place are two All-NBA talents in Leonard and George. Adding two All-Stars (and underrated role players like Maurice Harkless and Patrick Patterson) should certainly help improve a team that pushed the Warriors to six games in the Western Conference Playoffs this past April.

Rivers could be the man to keep everyone together, and that includes managing his two stars. Though Leonard and George reportedly wanted to play together, we’ve seen examples of players seeing their wishes of playing with a friend turn into a nightmare. James Harden and Chris Paul is one example that comes to mind. Mike D’Antoni, who also failed to get the Los Angeles Lakers star duo of Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard on the same page in 2012-13, proved to be incapable of keeping his stars from hating each other.

Then again, Paul’s inability to gel with Griffin and Jordan in LA make it seem as though the problem may actually be with the individual. Rivers was able to put that aside and get the most out of a great team that just wasn’t built to overcome the top teams in the west. D’Antoni’s Rockets seemed to be the best team in the West the past two years only to fall to a Warriors team that will go down as the greatest of its era.

As mentioned in the beginning of this piece, though the talent in which a roster possesses is mightily important in regard to succeeding it takes a specific type of presence to lead the charge in order to ultimately have the team reach their full potential. We’ve seen many head coaches over the years man a team with a ridiculous amount of fire power and, ultimately, end up falling short of expectations.

As Boston Celtics fans can attest, Doc Rivers has proven more than capable of leading the charge of an NBA superteam. While many coaches may find it hard to both handle the pressure and live up to the expectations that come with such squads, Rivers has shown to make the most of it and ultimately do what everyone anticipates… win.

He did it in year one with the Boston Celtics. With arguably a better team than that 2008 Championship unit, he could very well do it again with the Los Angeles Clippers.