Matt Barnes responded to a remark made by former NBA All-Star Joe Johnson on Instagram, taking another stab at Doc and Austin Rivers for ruining the “Lob City” Clippers. Johnson said that the Jazz had destroyed the “Lob City” Clippers, but Barnes thinks that at the time, everyone lost faith in Doc because he had used his position to get his son paid.
“Utah Jazz broke that sh*t up,” said Joe Johnson.
Matt Barnes: “Nope, that shit was broken by Doc. He lost the team after giving his kid that sum of money.”
Johnson is alluding to the Utah Jazz’s stunning seven-game victory over the Clippers in the first round of the 2017 Playoffs. Johnson was a member of the Jazz team, which led them in scoring over the series’ many victories. The ‘Lob City’ Clippers were eliminated after that series loss, and Chris Paul was traded to the Rockets that offseason.
Barnes disputes this, claiming that after Doc Rivers chose to give his son a $35 million, three-year contract extension, the Clippers locker room lost faith in him. Even though Austin Rivers wasn’t a player who could start, he had enough opportunities to earn a big contract; yet, Barnes feels that the locker room suffered as a result.
During his four years with the Clippers, Rivers averaged 11.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game.
Because most people saw the contract the same way Barnes did, Austin still has to deal with criticism that his father gave him a hand in his career. It’s difficult to overcome that kind of lack of faith, but it’s also difficult to blame the coach after several years of missed playoff opportunities. The Rivers are to blame for that era’s blowout, but so are individuals like Barnes who failed to deliver when it counted.
The Lob City Clippers didn’t get along well, according to Doc Rivers.
Doc Rivers has had time to digest the events involving Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, and DeAndre Jordan in the Lob City period. Considering that he built that squad as well, his assessment of the team’s lack of championship potential is somewhat harsh.
I’m not attempting to disparage that team in any way. Looking back, that team was never going to win. We simply didn’t get along well enough as a team, and teamwork is essential to success.”
Along with players like Jamal Crawford and Matt Barnes on those Clippers’ rosters, JJ Redick chastised Rivers for attributing those defeats to problems with camaraderie. However, even Barnes has previously stated that their failure was due to chemical problems.
“It was just and different on the court. We used to appear to be the league’s top team, without a doubt. We would be hitting all of our cylinders and destroy the top teams in the league. There would also occasionally be problems and finger-pointing.”
One of the main problems, according to Barnes, is Chris Paul’s leadership style.
“I am aware that one of the problems was the manner in which Chris Paul conveyed his messages. Chris seems like one of those guys from the past who will tell you straight up what the f**k he sees and what’s going on in the world. And he’s correct nine times out of 10.There was occasionally an obvious gap between our Big 3 and Chris’s message delivery.”
Since there has been a lot of backstabbing over who is to blame for the lack of a title amongst previous franchise members, it is necessary to let the past go. In the end, it’s evident that for a variety of reasons, none of the parties involved could succeed with the others.
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