Central Notes: Rivers, Middleton, LaVine, Harris, Reed

Bucks coach Doc Rivers may have missed out on a chance to lead the Celtics to more championships, but he told Steve Bulpett of Heavy that he doesn’t regret his decision to accept an offer from the Clippers in 2013. According to Bulpett, the team was “fairly pleading” for Rivers to stay and oversee a rebuilding project after trading Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn, but Rivers was attracted by the money and the chance to coach a team filled with stars in Los Angeles.

“I thought about it that first year with the Clippers, like, ‘Uh, I may have made a mistake,’” Rivers said. “But after that, I didn’t really think about it at all. … One thing I’ve never done is I never look back. I just don’t. I’ve never done that.”

Rivers said he was confident that Boston would rebuild quickly, which it did, largely from the draft picks the team received in the deal with the Nets. Rivers wasn’t able to get the Clippers past the second round of the playoffs before his time with the organization ended in 2020. He spent three years coaching in Philadelphia, then took the Milwaukee job midway through last season. Although he hasn’t come close to winning a title since leaving the Celtics, Rivers takes pride in what he’s accomplished.

“Everywhere I’ve gone, I’ve won,” he said. “I got fired in Philly, and we were .653 in the three years I was there, you know what I mean? So, like, I’m fine with my legacy. I’m eighth in (career) wins, fourth in playoff wins, so I’ve got a great legacy. But I want more. That’s why I’m still doing it.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

• There’s still no timeline for Khris Middleton to return, but Rivers was encouraged by what he saw at today’s practice, per Jim Owczarski of The Journal-Sentinel. “He did a lot today,” Rivers said as the Bucks held their first full practice session since the season began. “A whole lot. Stayed out on the floor with our guys. So, he’s getting close.” Middleton still hasn’t been cleared to practice in a five-on-five setting, which likely needs to happen before he can return to action.
• X-rays were negative on Bulls guard Zach LaVine‘s left shoulder after a collision in tonight’s game, according to K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). LaVine said he got treatment on the shoulder during the game, and he hopes to be ready for Friday’s contest at Brooklyn. He called it a “subluxation,” and Johnson expects him to be listed on the team’s injury report with a shoulder sprain.
• Tonight marked a homecoming for a pair of former Sixers who joined the Pistons this summer. Tobias Harris, who signed as a free agent after five-and-a-half years in Philadelphia, wasn’t surprised to get a mixed reaction from the crowd, relays Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link). “I think the fans here get a bad rep as far as their passion,” he said. “I’ve played in different cities and this is one of the cities where you can get booed by fans, but you’ll be out at a restaurant and they’ll put a baby in your hands for a photo.” Paul Reed, who got claimed by Detroit after the Sixers waived him in July, was happy to be back in Philadelphia for a night, per Gina Mizell of The Philadelphia Inquirer (Twitter link). “The city gave me a lot, I ain’t gonna lie,” he said. “A lot of trust. A lot of love. A lot of passion. So I really love Philly. I definitely felt some type of way when I left. But it is what it is. That’s the business.”