Doc Rivers was pressed on the history of his team’s historical struggles in elimination games. He fired back. Let’s break it down line by line:

“Well it’s easy to use me as an example.”

What other examples do we have Doc? There’s no other coach in the history of the league who has blown more 3-1 leads than you. Certainly not Pop.

“My Orlando team was the 8th seed. No one gives me credit for getting out against the Pistons who won the title.”

Fair point, IF THE PISTONS WERE ACTUALLY THE TEAM WHO WON THE TITLE THAT YEAR DOC. They got swept in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Nets. Your boy Pop and the Spurs won that year. Now, was that Pistons team awesome? Yeah. Rip Hamilton, Chauncey Billups, and Ben Wallace vs. Tracy McGrady and a couple of cast members from Disney World isn’t a fair fight. But the Magic could’ve used that “hell of a coaching job” after Game 4 when you only scored 67, 88, and 93 points.

“The Clipper team that we lost 3-1. Chris Paul didn’t play in the first two games and was playing on one leg. And we didn’t have home court.”

A couple things here. You didn’t have home court because you weren’t better than the Rockets in the standings. Win one more game during the regular season and you have home court. Those two games Chris Paul didn’t play you split in Houston. The Clippers then won the next two at home. In Game 6 you were up 19 in the 3rd quarter at home. Sound familiar?

“And then the last one to me is the one we blew. That was in the bubble and anything can happen in the bubble. There’s no home court. Game 7 would have been in LA.”

I think we just proved it doesn’t matter where the game is taking place. Doc struggles with close out games. What’s his excuse if the Raptors win tomorrow and then win at home in Philly?

“I gotta do better always, always take my own responsibility.”

It took about a minute for Doc to take responsibility after he gave a litany of excuses for why he’s collapsed in the playoffs so much. Doc speaks like a guy who’s doing everything in his power to protect his legacy. He’s coming up on retirement, he’s looking for that gold watch, and all everyone tells him is how he cost the company millions because he didn’t adapt to online filing technology quick enough. Instead, he tries to push the conversation to the millions he saved the company in 2009, but forgot it was because they laid off 10% of their workforce at a regional branch.

This all makes me think, and this is just speculation, how much this team might be affected by Doc just not giving a shit or having that drive any longer? Like, do you think Doc burns through hours of film on the plane ride home after games and then more at the practice facility after they land trying to get James Harden easier looks or Tyrese Maxey open? No chance. I just see a guy on the sidelines going through the motions, waving his hands around at bad calls, and not making any adjustments. Honestly, he probably doesn’t know what adjustments to make. I don’t want to beat on Doc because this happens to plenty of people in any profession who’ve been as successful as he has. It makes it even more impressive for coaches like Pop and Phil Jackson to keep that fire in their belly burning when faced with that kind of success. Doc isn’t young and hungry anymore. At some point the game catches up to you or you lose that edge. Jay Wright even admitted to it. It’s probably time for Doc to come to grips – after LA trades us a first for him.