Doc Rivers And Paul Pierce Can Bring The LA Clippers A Championship Next Year

Doc Rivers can bring his team into the NBA Finals next year. But Doc needs to augment the firepower if he hopes to bring more Clippers victories during next year’s postseason. That may be why the organization is courting a face familiar to Doc Rivers’ most successful coaching run.

Inside the Clippers indicated who exactly they are aiming for.

“The Clippers remain interested in bringing small forward Paul Pierce to Los Angeles, a league source told us today, but that Pierce would first have to opt out of his current contract with the Washington Wizards, which he can do.”

Talks have swirled on bringing the former member of Rivers’ championship Boston Celtics team to reunite with him in Los Angeles. In Game 3 and Game 6 of the Wizards’ playoff semifinal series, the versatile small forward hit two amazing and critical buzzer beaters. He showed his perennial value as a clutch performer, even if his Game 6 shot ultimately didn’t count.

This year saw both Rivers and Pierce’s seasons end in round 2 of the postseason. Doc Rivers was on the cusp of leading LA to their first Conference Finals appearance ever, only to get sloppy and suffer an embarrassing Game 6 Rockets comeback, and Game 7 Rockets series victory. Doc saw his team fall apart in those last two games. But hope is only a trade away if Rivers can persuade management to bring in a few dogged playoff veterans. A few more guys with solid playoff experience can guide the younger stars.

If Rivers has to deal with the Rockets again, veterans could make all the difference. Though Pierce spent his entire NBA career among East Coast teams, his last few seasons could see him thrive in West Coast playoff competition. “The Truth” as he’s known, annoys opposing teams with his endless offensive maneuvers. He also grew up on the West Coast, so why not bring him closer to home as his career winds down, and closer to the coach who brought him his biggest successes?

Rivers coached Pierce in Boston for eight seasons before leaving for Los Angeles. Before that epic run, Doc coached the Orlando Magic until he got fired in the midst of his fifth season. Together, Rivers and Pierce won a championship in 2008, had a Finals appearance in 2010, and had a Conference Finals appearance in 2012. Doc Rivers is going into his third year as Clippers coach, and Pierce is going into his 18th season as a player in the NBA.

[Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images]
[Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images]