In the spotlight the most was coach Doc Rivers, who left Boston because he didnt want to endure another rebuilding plan and wanted the challenge of leading the Clippers to unprecedented prosperity.

Instead, the Clippers have blown two 3-1 playoff series leads during his tenure.

You could just see the difference in the two teams; theyve been together and we havent, Rivers said. "We didnt meet [expectations]. Thats the bottom line. Im the coach and Ill take any blame for it. If we had [met expectations] in my opinion, wed still be playing. And although our numbers said we were a good defensive team, I dont think we realized that part of our game at all.

It was hard to watch because Ive got a good group of guys, I really do. Obviously, I could have done something more. I always think its me, no matter what. Ill look at this and try to figure it out. But its very disappointing.

The Clippers admitted they were never as cohesive as the outside public perceived. Williams left the bubble to go to a funeral and then had to spend extra time quarantining after he was photographed attending a strip club. Harrell left the team for nearly a month to attend a funeral. Ivica Zubac and Landry Shamet contracted COVID-19.

George acknowledged he was dealing with depression because of being sequestered in the bubble. Honestly, the Clippers were a talented mess that was just hoping their prowess would be good enough to overcome their weaknesses.

We understood that this was going to take some time, Williams said. A lot of the issues that we ran into, talent bailed us out, chemistry didnt. In this series, it failed us. This is our first year together. Were a highly talented group and we came up short.

"Chemistry is something youve got to build, and I thought we were moving in the right direction at the end of the year before the COVID thing happened.

While Rivers had title aspirations, it was apparent his players didnt share that sense of urgency.

It was a great first season with Kawhi. Were still learning, figuring each other out, George said. But I thought we had a great year playing off each other. We can only improve off that. But you want that pressure. First time Ive been on a team thats not been considered the underdog, so it was different."

Instead of lamenting a blown 3-1 lead, George appeared to believe next season was more of the target year. George and Leonard have player options in their contracts for the 2021-22 season.

We have to be positive going forward, George said. Thats all we have right now. Were just positive and optimistic about it.

But its apparent too much pressure was placed on George, Leonard, and the Clippers to reach new heights since that July 2019 night Leonard agreed to sign, and the Clippers acquired George.

Its obvious pressure to live up to the title expectation, but as a player you want that, George said. But its not a cop-out. We didnt live up to that expectation. But I think internally weve always felt this is not a championship-or-bust year for us. We can only get better the more we stay together. The more chemistry for this team, the better. I really think thats the tale of the tape.

CALL OF DUTY

Public display of affection

The NBA invited a handful of public address announcers to call games in the bubble despite the lack of fans. The league wanted to replicate a game atmosphere.

Four accepted the offer: Olivier Sedra of the Nets, Kyle Speller of the Nuggets, Tim Sinclair of the Pacers, and Eric Smith of the Clippers. They had to come to Orlando, quarantine, and call multiple games per day.

Its an unusual responsibility in an unusual time. These PA announcers are used to calling games for their home team three nights a week. But these four were assigned to call every scrimmage, seeding game, and playoff matchup. For three of the announcers who spoke with the Globe, it was an honor to show their skills on the biggest stage.

Id like to think I do have a responsibility to the NBA, if they need me or call on me for something, Im humbled by it, Sedra said. I could have never imagined this growing up."

Sedra came to Brooklyn from the Cavaliers, where his baritone voice could be heard saying, LeBron James! after a thunderous dunk or stepback 3-pointer. Sedra is one of the more highly regarded PA announcers in the NBA, and he has was delighted by the opportunity to sharpen his pipes to say, LeBron James again when he called Lakers games in the bubble.

Its going to be fun saying his name again, Sedra said. Its definitely morphed from saying his last name or rolling the L in his first or rumbling the R and theres gaps between his first and last name. I guess a player like that, a type of iconic player, allows you to do things like that."

Sedra had a heart-to-heart conversation with his 9-year-old son, Adrian, who lives in Cleveland, about dad having the opportunity to call NBA games over several weeks.

Its funny, when its my son, I kind of have to see how he feels when I move along, Sedra said. So I got the word and presented it to him in a way where I said, I think this could happen, to feel him out. And his eyes went wide open and he said, Really? And to see that in him, you cant get me talking about that.

Sedra had a meeting with the league and told Adrian he would call him afterward with the official word.

I called him up and said, Yo, I got it, and he was so giddy, Sedra said. And I knew I was good. Just his reaction, his facial expression, and what he admitted to me is what I needed to see and hear and feel. So I was like, Lets roll.

The challenge for Sedra and his colleagues was learning the names of every player in the bubble, how they like that name enunciated, and creating an inflection for each depending on whether they were the home or road team.

Ive had opportunities to call different games in different places, and in this case I try to make a connection with each team, he said. Some are true and genuine and personal. And teams that I dont know anybody, you just try to talk to them before the game.

WORK TO DO

No offseason for Raptors Ujiri

The Raptors were eliminated by the Celtics in seven games and saw their reign as champions end. But the organization has no plans to rest on its laurels, especially with several pressing issues this summer.

First is the status of general manager Masai Ujiri, one of the most coveted executives in the NBA. He is entering the final year of his contract and there will be teams that will throw lucrative offers at Ujiri to rebuild their franchises.

Ujiri said he has not had contract extension discussions, but that did not stop him from extending Nick Nurse, the reigning NBA Coach of the Year. Ujiri said it was his priority to extend the teams leadership under him, and hes in the process of getting new contracts for other front office members.

Next are the players, and the Raptors have a handful of free agents, including Fred VanVleet, Serge Ibaka, Marc Gasol, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. VanVleet teamed with All-Star Kyle Lowry to make up one of the best shooting backcourts in the NBA. Re-signing the 26-year-old VanVleet will be the teams first priority.

You want to start with whoever our free agents are, Ujiri said. "Theres a priority for Fred. We also have to look at the game and see where the game is going. We are all waiting on the cap to see where the numbers fall. We also have to look at free agency in 2021. We have to look at the short-term future and the long-term future.

"This is where we really have to buckle down and make an assessment of what bubble basketball was against what the outside-the-bubble basketball was. This is our time. You support as much as you want during the bubble, during the playoffs. But now is the time to work.

Im very confident in our culture and, yes, Fred is a priority, a giant priority. Marc Gasol brings so much to our organization. Serge is a priority. We really have to attack this head-on.

One of
the most disappointing aspects of the Raptors' loss to the Celtics was the performance of All-Star Pascal Siakam, who averaged 14.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and just 38.2 percent shooting from the field. Siakam also missed 28 of 32 3-point attempts in the series. Siakam never appeared comfortable playing in the bubble.

We talked extensively with Pascal. Everybody stood by Pascal, Ujiri said. Theres something about that bubble that brought all of us together. I know Pascal, sometimes we need this almost like a kick in the butt. Hes going to bounce back 100 percent. He felt like he let the team down. Lets not forget, Pascal helped us win a championship. Hes going to bounce back.

Ujiri acknowledged it was difficult being sequestered for weeks.

The mental aspect was hard for me, I cant even imagine the players, he said. "See the people youre competing against each other every day. I saw Brad Stevens every time I went into the elevator or went outside. I could only imagine with the players. The mental aspect of being alone. You dont know what people are going through outside thats beyond your control.

I think it brought some camaraderie to the NBA. I got to know a lot of people.

The night the Raptors won the championship should have been the greatest night of Ujiris life. Instead, it was marred by an incident with an Alameda County (Calif.) sherriffs deputy, who initiated an altercation as Ujiri tried to walk onto the floor at Oracle Arena to celebrate the win over the Warriors.

Video was released last month showing the deputy, Alan Strickland, making contact with Ujiri and never allowing him to reveal his credential. NBA officials and a representative from Nike intervened, and Ujiri was eventually allowed on floor, but not without having a shoving match with the deputy. Strickland has filed a lawsuit against Ujiri.

I had my own incident and everybody has dealt with it. There is racism everywhere. Lets face it, theres racism in Canada. This is a global pandemic, Ujiri said. "This was very hard for me. This is the part of the bubble I struggled. When the video came out I didnt sleep for a few days. You question yourself. As time goes on you begin to doubt yourself, and I doubted myself.

I watch all these documentaries and I say, Why dont you just say what happened? I began to doubt myself. You have a lot of time to think. I started to think, what if this had gone the total wrong way? You think about everything. You think about racism and where its going. There was time I wondered whether Black lives matter to only Black people.

Ujuri sat in on some of the player meetings after the game boycotts last month. He said he appreciated their efforts and sentiments.

I know there was definitely a time where my team, we talked about the boycott, he said. We talked about the mental fatigue. We talked about Jacob Blake and you could tell there was a mental drain on these players and everybody was tired and we needed to pause. I commend LeBron [James], all these guys, Chris Paul, Jaylen Brown, all these guys. Because they stepped up and said something.

Layups

With the Clippers' collapse, the question is whether the reputations of Tyronn Lue and Sam Cassell, assistants seeking head coaching jobs, took a hit. Lue was viewed as a top candidate in Philadelphia, but that was before Mike DAntoni decided to leave Houston, and apparently the 76ers job is his if he wants it. The Pelicans and Pacers are also looking for head coaches, but the New Orleans job is likely more suitable for Lue, who coached the Cavaliers to the NBA championship in 2016. The Pelicans want to win now and need a defensive-minded coach who can mold their younger core. Lue sounds like a perfect fit. Cassell has been with the Clippers for several years and is ready for his first top job. But if youre Houston, Oklahoma City, Indiana, or Chicago, do you take a chance on a first-time head coach? All four franchises are looking for coaches who can establish a culture and win immediately. The offseason coaching search will be interesting and has already gotten off to a surprising start with the Nets' hiring of Steve Nash . . . The Kings hired Rockets assistant GM Monte McNair as their GM and kept former Pistons executive Joe Dumars as a consultant. Former GM Vlade Divac stepped down after the Kings again failed to make the postseason. Kings fans havent forgotten Divac passed on Luka Doncic in the draft in favor of Marvin Bagley III, who has been oft-injured during his first two seasons. Also, coach Luke Walton turned former lottery pick Buddy Hield into a sixth man and the former Oklahoma standout is not happy with that role . . . There was a huge moment this past week for Roxbury native Shey Peddy, the Mercury forward who drained the winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat the defending WNBA champion Mystics and advance to the second round. Peddy, 31, starred at Melrose High School. She entered the WNBA bubble as a member of the Mystics but was waived. Peddy was quickly signed by the Mercury and she made the biggest shot of her career against her former team.

Gary Washburn can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @GwashburnGlobe.

Read more from the original source:
Clippers talent cant overcome their lack of chemistry - The Boston Globe