Doc Rivers’ playoff history should be ultimate deterrent for Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are still looking to hire the franchise’s next head coach and just like the 2021-22 season, it has been a circus. The team was reportedly down to three candidates, which NBA insider Marc Stein refuted. Add in the fact that Juwan Howard reportedly turned down the interest from the Lakers and it is clear that the team is not in a great spot.

In Stein’s report that the Lakers are not down to three finalists, he mentioned that the team is still holding out hope that Doc Rivers will part ways with the Philadelphia 76ers. Rivers and the Sixers were eliminated in the second round of the NBA Playoffs and it seemed destined that the team would move on. Daryl Morey rejected that destiny and said that Rivers will return.

Why the Los Angeles Lakers are so desperate for a below-average head coach is anyone’s guess. It feels like the team is simply big-name hunting with Rivers being one of the most prominent coaches in the sport. He is a star’s coach, after all, and the Lakers would tout a potential Rivers hire as the team landing a former championship coach.

However, outside of that 2008 NBA Finals, Doc Rivers really has put together a stinker of a playoff resume. Rivers is 104-100 in the NBA Playoffs and outside of the two title runs with Boston, Rivers’ record is 73-81.

Doc Rivers’ playoff resume should be the ultimate deterrent for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Let’s go through Rivers’ playoff resume year by year, breaking down not only the years he lost in the playoffs but how he lost. No head coach is going to win the NBA title every year, obviously, but Rivers’ resume is far from impressive.

2001, 2002, 2003 Orlando Magic: Lost in round one 

Rivers’ first three trips to the playoffs resulted in three first-round exits for the Orlando Magic. While those Orlando teams were just barely above .500 in the regular season, they featured both Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill as well as a solid supporting cast.

Orlando has pretty good title odds in all three of those seasons and were definitely expected to make some noise deep in the NBA Playoffs. Not getting out of the first round at all with that team is an absolute failure. Should they have won a title? Maybe not. Should they have at least made one Conference Finals? Probably.

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The 2003 exit was particularly bad as the Magic took a 3-1 lead over the Detroit Pistons in round one only to blow the next three games, losing each game by 15 or more points.

First (and only) playoff berth without Kevin Garnett in Boston: Lost in seven in round one

Doc Rivers only made the playoffs once with the Boston Celtics before the team traded for Kevin Garnett. In that lone season (2004-05), the third-seeded Celtics went to a Game 7 against the sixth-seeded Indiana Pacers.

What did Boston do in Game 7? Laid an absolute egg, losing 97-70.

Non-Finals years in Boston: 

Doc Rivers had never gotten out of the first round before the Celtics traded for KG despite having some talented players. With his resume before and after those title runs, it is safe to say that Rivers was carried by the talent on that team.

The Celtics had four other trips to the playoffs outside of their two runs to the NBA Finals. In 2009 the team lost to the Orlando Magic in the second round, losing Game 7 by 19 points (another blowout loss!). Granted, KG was hurt.

In 2011 the team also lost in the second round to the LeBron James-led Miami Heat. That series was not close as it was a gentleman’s sweep. They lost to Boston again in 2012, this time in the Conference Finals. Boston blew a 3-2 series lead, losing Game 6 by 19 and Game 7 by 13. More double-digit losses in clinching games!

The end of the Rivers’ era in Boston was the 2012-13 season. The team really wasn’t as talented anymore and lost in round one to the Knicks in five games.

Constantly falling short with the Clippers:

Doc Rivers had so much talent on the Clippers and did nothing with. Not only did he get to pilot the lob City Clippers which arguably had two top-10 players, but he also got another chance with Paul George and Kawhi Leonard.

Rivers never made it out of the second round in LA. In 2014 they lost Game 5 and 6 to lose 4-2 against the Thunder in the second round. In 2015 they lost in seven to the Houston Rockets. The Clippers were not only up 3-2, but they blew a massive lead in Game 6 to the Rockets, who benched James Harden. They lost Game 7 by 13.

2016 and 2017 both featured first-round exits. In 2016 they went up 2-0 against Portland and proceeded to lose four straight. In 2017 they went to seven with Utah, once again getting blown out in a Game 7, losing by 13.

2019 is excusable as that Clippers team did overperform in the regular season and really had no shot of beating the Warriors in the first round. However, in 2020 with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, the Clippers infamously blew a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets and failed to meet the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals.

Rivers was then canned in favor of Tyronn Lue.

Thus far with Philly: 

Rivers has lost in the second round in both of his seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers. This year the Sixers dealt with injuries and were outmatched by the number-one-seeded Miami Heat. However, 2021 was a disaster.

The Sixers let an Atlanta Hawks team who was nowhere close to as talented as they beat them in seven games. It was actually a win for Rivers, as the Sixers lost by single-digits in Game 7. Chaos then ensued as Rivers made some interesting remarks about Ben Simmons, starting the domino effect that led to the team getting an out-of-shape James Harden.

How can the Los Angeles Lakers look at all of this and actually want to hire Doc Rivers? Does Rob Pelinka just want a golfing buddy? Thankfully, the 76ers may keep the Lakers from being their own worst enemy.