Doc Rivers: Clippers need to develop trust

Doc Rivers said there’s going to be a learning curve before the Clippers start playing the way he thinks they can play.

“It just takes time,” he said. “It’s over and over and over again until it’s actual trust. I thought last night when things got tough, we actually went back to just kind of making it up and doing our own thing. There’s no good defensive team, or offensive team for that matter, that does it randomly.”

In the Clippers 116-103 loss to the Lakers in their season opener Tuesday, Rivers pointed out a bunch of things he didn’t like, including the Clippers’ defense, which permitted the Lakers’ bench to roll over them with 76 points, the team’s poor rebounding and their energy level.

“The game just didn’t look right to me, throughout the game,” the first-year coach said. “I just didn’t feel good about it during the game. I could sense it, I tried to relay it.”

Rivers didn’t say much to the team after the game, saying that they were “probably too emotional” to hear him.

Blake Griffin put the blame on himself.

“It just didn’t click for me ... I need to do a better job of being more assertive,” said Griffin, who finished with 19 points and seven rebounds.

Even though the Clippers were favored to beat the Lakers, who were playing without Kobe Bryant, Griffin said those high expectations don’t put any added pressure on him.

“I put higher expecations on myself and our team than anybody else can, so it’s not going to psyche me out,” he said.

The Clippers host Golden State in their home opener Thursday (the Clippers were the visiting team at Staples Center on Tuesday night) in a game that Griffin said they must win.

“It’s important,” he said. “You never want to drop two in a row.”

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