Doc Rivers responds to criticism from JJ Redick

“JJ’s had a problem with me for a while, and that’s fine. Players do,” Rivers said. “If you make decisions that the player doesn’t agree with — in JJ’s case, we didn’t sign him back, and with the Clippers, I stopped playing him as much because he wasn’t very effective in the playoffs — that’s all known. I’m fine with that."

“JJ Redick’s best numbers of his career was under one coach. You’re looking at him right here. I’m the one that grabbed him out of Milwaukee and decided to start him. From that point on, his career took off. All the movement plays, everything. First play of the game, every game when we played with the Clippers, we would have coaches and teams come up to you and say ‘you’re not going to score on that first play with JJ.’ And I would always think, just watch us. We’re going to figure it out. Overall, nothing but love for JJ. Obviously, there’s things he doesn’t like, and I have no issues with him.”

Rivers coached the Clippers from 2013 to 2020, with Redick playing for him for four of those seasons. The coach is correct that they were among the best years of Redick’s career. Redick averaged more points per game after leaving the Clippers but was less efficient as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers.

Rivers was largely magnanimous here, though the remark about Redick being ineffective in the playoffs certainly felt like twisting the knife a bit. 

To be fair to Redick, though, some of Rivers’ honesty can certainly come off as excuse-making. It certainly does not help Rivers’ case that he did not improve the Bucks after taking over, going 17-19 down the stretch after taking over a team that was 30-13 when it fired Adrian Griffin.