Report: Doc Rivers failed to integrate new stars with Clippers' 'old guard'

Doc Rivers was fired by the Los Angeles Clippers, and according to The Athletic's Jovan Buha, the team let him go in part because he failed "to manage the demands of adhering to his new stars, [Kawhi] Leonard and [Paul] George, while simultaneously sustaining the cooperation from the old guard of the roster—mainly Williams, Harrell and Patrick Beverley."

The Clippers looked like one of the most promising teams in the NBA at the end of last season. They were able to push the Golden State Warriors to six games in the playoffs despite the team's lack of a superstar. Expectations only rose when they added not one superstar but two, with Leonard and George joining the team last offseason.

However, the reality did not match expectations. The Clippers struggled to find a rhythm all season and came up short in the playoffs, eventually giving up a 3-1 lead to the Denver Nuggets. Even before the collapse, there were reports of the "old guard" feeling frustrated by the superstar treatment George and Leonard received, and it seems that the Clippers felt Rivers did not do an adequate job bringing everyone together to become an elite team.

Whoever takes over for Rivers will have a tough task ahead of him, as the Clippers need to compete for a title or risk losing Leonard and George, who can both opt out of their contracts after this season. Ty Lue, Jeff Van Gundy and Sam Cassell are among those who have been linked to the job.