Los Angeles Clippers president and coach Doc Rivers has dreamed of a day when his franchise wins its first NBA championship. While the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs appear to be major obstacles in that quest, Rivers said his team is “closer than people think.”

Rivers took some time recently to talk with Yahoo Sports about the Clippers’ potential, the uncertainty surrounding Blake Griffin’s return and why the power forward wasn’t traded, his roster moves as an executive and more.

View photos Doc Rivers likes the position the Clippers are in. (AP) More

Q: How difficult will be it to overcome the Warriors or Spurs in the Western Conference playoffs and what do you think of what they have done so far?

Rivers: “What they are doing is amazing, the Warriors first and then the Spurs as well. I think it’s beautiful to watch. Both teams play completely different, but they play exactly the same. It’s all about the team. There is no difference in their spirit. There is a difference in how they play basketball. From a coaching standpoint, even though you want to beat both of them, it’s enjoyable to watch and it’s beautiful. I respect that.

“We are not trying to catch them now. We know we can’t. Our goal is to try to beat them in the playoffs. It’s going to be a challenge. But the playoffs start and everyone is 0-0. Everything you’ve done is over with. It’s what you do ahead. We’ve been through a lot of injuries this year. Our best players have been through a lot of injuries this year. Our goal is to get healthy, get right, lace them up and see what we’ve got.”

Q: What is the key change needed for the Clippers to be a championship team?

Rivers: “We’re right there. It’s funny. People think it’s easy to go win a title. Winning is hard. Winning a game is hard. I love the fact that we are on the door. We’ve knocked on the door twice as far as getting to the Western Conference Finals. We haven’t made it, so you just keep doing it. I don’t feel the push or the pressure of, ‘Man, if they don’t do it …’ Why not? We keep doing it.

“We clearly have proven that we can get to a Game 7 and a Game 6 back-to-back years. Last year we were up 3-1 [in the second round to Houston and lost]. Then [in 2014], we had the meltdown in the Oklahoma City game [in the conference semifinals] that kind of changed the series. What it tells me is we’re closer than people think. We just got to keep going.

“Obviously, if we are not there in two years from now you re-think things. But you don’t blow your team up every year. I keep laughing at everyone who says [to do] that. That’s the guys who have never really been in it. You keep just going forward. Keep your core and see if you can get it right. That’s it. We have to rebound better. Our defense is light years better this year to me. We have to make the right shots. Make the right plays. Our whole thing is to keep playing.”

Q: What type of challenge will you have re-incorporating Griffin upon his return from his hand injury?

Rivers: “I think it’s easy. Our goal coming into the season was to have a great big lineup and great small lineup as well. We set out the season and established the season with the best big lineup. Our big lineup with Blake and D.J. [DeAndre Jordan] was phenomenal. … And when Blake went down, it forced us to play that [small] style all night.

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