LOS ANGELES – Clippers head coach Doc Rivers was named the Western Conference Coach of the Month for January.
Rivers helped guide the Clippers to an 11-3 record during the month, their best January record in Clippers history.
“It all goes back to Doc,” Jamal Crawford said after the Clippers’ win against the Bulls to end the month. “He puts us in a position to be successful. We were so down after that Toronto game. For a month, that’s not who we’d been…and we’ve bounced back nice since then.”
The Clippers’ only loss in their last six games came to the Raptors and Toronto head coach Dwane Casey, who was named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month. The Clippers didn’t let off-court distractions stemming from that trip hinder them on the court.
After the Blake Griffin fractured hand news popped up in Toronto, the Clippers followed the loss against the Raptors by winning four straight games to end January, including victories against three of the top four teams in the East.
By the end of January, a shorthanded Clippers group beat four of the top five teams in the East and five of the top seven teams in the conference.
Chris Paul averaged 21.1 points and 10.4 assists per game in January for his first 20 and 10 month of the season. In addition, DeAndre Jordan averaged 13.8 points and 15.1 rebounds per game, while J.J. Redick averaged 17 points per game and hit 49.4 percent of his 3-point attempts in January.
“We just figure out a way to lean on the system, lean on Doc’s coaching and lean on each other,” Crawford said. “Not any one person can replace anyone here. We all just have to pitch in.”
Crawford and the Clippers’ small-ball reserve unit led to many of those wins. Crawford’s plus-65 in his last four games and has at least 21 points in two of his last three games. In addition, Austin Rivers has at least 16 points in each of his last two games.
But it’s on the other end of the floor where the extra effort’s stood out most.
“People think it’s their offense, but I think it’s their defense,” DeAndre Jordan said of the second unit. “Pablo (Prigioni) is such a pest at times, and I’m just glad he’s on our team. And whenever it’s Austin, Pablo, Jamal together, they’re so interchangeable and they all can make plays, it puts a lot of pressure on the defense.”
The Clippers have allowed 93 points or fewer in five of their last six games. In addition, the Clippers’ reserves have outscored their opponent’s reserves by at least 25 points in three straight games; it’s the first time that’s happened since March 30-April 4, 2003.
“Really, our bench has been better than fantastic,” Doc Rivers said. “They’re actually changing games, and it’s with their energy.”
Crawford said head coach Doc Rivers has been the team’s leader throughout, and his experience and knowledge handling every situation in life played a significant role in the Clippers bouncing back from Toronto and finishing the month successfully.
“It’s a blessing,” Crawford said. “We don’t take it for granted. We saw it a couple of years ago in the playoffs, so it’s a blessing.”
