We can't let this bizarre ending that dragged on far too long overshadow the important point: Doc Rivers was wildly successful in his nine years as head coach of the Celtics and was a big part of them being relevant again in the NBA. Now that it appears his time is over in Boston with reports of him going to the Clippers and signing a three-year deal worth $21 million (in return for a first-round draft pick in 2015), we can look back and fully appreciate the excellent run that he had with the Celts.
Doc started out in Boston in 2004-05. The dysfunctional team that he inherited went 45-37 but lost to the Pacers in a seven-game first round series complete with Paul Pierce's meltdown at the postgame press conference with a ridiculous bandage on his head. To get good again, the Celts truly had to bottom out which they successfully did in the next two seasons. Tanking put them in prime position to get the No. 1 or 2 pick (Greg Oden or Kevin Durant) in 2007's draft but as it turned out the ping pong balls didn't bounce their way and they were stuck with the No. 5 pick.
That's when things changed though as Danny Ainge traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen which totally transformed the franchise and returned it to the glory days with a title in their first season, a return to the Finals two years later (2010) and one last memorable run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2012 vs. Miami.
Let's not get it twisted, coaching in the NBA is largely akin to a babysitting position and less of a teaching role than in MLB, NHL or NFL. More so than any of those other three professional sports, it's a player's league. That's no disrespect to Rivers, he's a very good coach but most importantly, he could handle the huge egos in the Celtics' locker room. It also didn't hurt that he was great with the media (he used to be a fine NBA broadcaster) and a standup guy to boot with the All-American family of athletes. These are admirable qualities and not something you find in your average NBA lifer who has no personality or coaching acumen.
Doc Rivers came to the Celtics at the perfect time and as a result, he was transformed into one of the most well respected coaches in the NBA. His regular season record in Boston was 416-305 (.577%) and playoff record was 59-47 (.557%). He coached in the NBA All-Star Game twice (2008 and 2011) and his teams made the playoffs in seven of nine seasons.
Who can blame him for wanting out? Everybody knows that the C's are about to embark on another rebuilding project that will center around the mercurial Rajon Rondo. Doc has plenty of other interests and he doesn't want to be a coach for life which means after paying his dues once, he wants to coach a contender. The Clippers certainly fit the bill-assuming they re-sign Chris Paul. Rivers leaves impossibly big shoes to fill and I have no clue who the Celtics will choose to replace him. They can go with a young, energetic no-name guy (think Tom Thibodeau) or perhaps an NBA retread like George Karl or Lionel Hollins who have surprisingly found themselves out of a job this spring after leading their respective squads to the playoffs.
It'll be a busy couple weeks for the Celtics as they look for a new head coach, draft a player on Thursday (No. 16) and decide whether to buy out Pierce by June 30 or have him return next season.
Tweet
Follow @RichSlate
No comments:
Post a Comment