Doc Rivers has been juggling responsibilities. Being both head coach and general manager of a team is a lot of responsibility, and it’s hard to imagine one man being able to put the requisite time and energy into both jobs. Rivers is now solely head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, having passed his general managing duties onto Lawrence Frank. Clippers Owner Steve Ballmer asked players who had left the Clippers about Rivers, reports Broderick Turner of the LA Times:
The Clippers have nine new players on their roster. But it was the loss of key starters Chris Paul, who was traded to Houston, J.J. Redick, who signed as a free agent with Philadelphia and Luc Mbah a Moute, who signed as a free agent with Houston, as well as sixth-man Jamal Crawford, who signed with Minnesota, that led Ballmer to get more involved, according to the executive.
The executive said Ballmer called several of the players who left to ask them why and about their feelings after playing for Rivers.
The fact that Ballmer spoke to these players prior to letting Rivers go could be telling. This is speculation, but it could mean that Ballmer gleaned from those players that they left because Rivers wasn’t as effective as he could have been in negotiations.
