Rivers’ play keeps his doubters at bay
Coach’s son and target of derision brushes insults aside during a breakout season with the Clippers.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Every slight motivates Austin Rivers that much more.
He is out to prove his naysayers wrong and show critics that his skills are what earned him a starting guard job with the Clippers this season.
He hears the noise that his dad, the Clippers’ coach, saved his career. He hears the fans that say he’s getting paid $11.8 million this season and $12.6 million next season only because his father was the president of basketball operations for the Clippers when Rivers was signed to a three-year, $35.7-million contract during the summer of 2016.
Rivers views it all as an assault on his ability and a work ethic that has led to a career-best 2017-18 season.
“It’s everything,” Rivers admitted. “People sleep on me anyway. I think everybody does. I think everybody just sleeps on me, man. I’m one of the most slept-on upcoming guards in the league. I’ve felt that way for a while now. So that’s fine. I’ve just got to keep hooping, just let your game speak.”
The numbers tell the story of how Rivers has refined his game in his sixth NBA season. He’s averaging career highs in points (15.5), assists (3.8), three-point shooting (38.5%), steals (1.2) and minutes per game (33.8).
His improvement has been magnified by more minutes because of teammates’ injuries, leading to more opportunities and responsibilities for Rivers.
“I think all that,” he said. “More minutes. More opportunities. More responsibility. I had a great summer of hard work. My teammates’ trust. There’s a lot of things that go into that.”
Rivers, 25, has evolved into an all-around guard.
He’s not afraid to take on the challenge of defending the league’s top guards. He doesn’t back down from taking big-time shots in the clutch. He scored 10 points and knocked down two clutch threepoint shots during the Clippers’ fourth-quarter rally in a 105-98 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.
Rivers believes that his moment has come.
“I think it goes back to having a great summer of hard work,” he said. “I really trust in my shots. I know how to score whenever I need to now. I think the biggest improvement in my game is playmaking, just keeping my head up. I looked to score and I would also look to make plays last year. I could do it a little bit. This year I’m doing it at a much higher level. I think that’s my biggest improvement.”
The Clippers’ backcourt has been decimated by injuries to Milos Teodosic (left plantar fascia), Avery Bradley (groin surgery) and Patrick Beverley (season-ending right knee surgery).
In the wake of all that, Rivers has been steady.
“He’s being more aggressive on both ends of the floor,” center DeAndre Jordan said. “Obviously we need him more offensively. But we also need him defensively. He’s one of our best defensive guards we have, obviously with Avery out and Patrick out. We ask a lot out of him. He’s been great for us all year and we’re going to need him the last how many games we have to be a force on both ends of the floor.”
TONIGHT
AT PORTLAND When: 7:30. On the air: TV: Prime Ticket, ESPN; Radio: 1150, 1330. Update: The Clippers defeated the Trail Blazers in their first meeting but lost the last two. Portland’s backcourt of Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum is one of the best in the NBA. Lillard, expected to play Friday after sitting out Wednesday night’s game at Memphis for the birth of his child, is fifth in the NBA in scoring (26.8) and McCollum is 18th (21.8).