OT: Doc Rivers

[KingRobb02]

I do think that DOc deserves a lot of credit. He may not have gotten the players or handled the defense, but there have been much more talented teams than this Celtics team that have come up short in the past. Doc's main role as head coach was to keep everyone motivated and on the same page. He did this while keeping all egos in check and making sure that the team wasn't crushed unde rhuge expectations. The Celtics just finished what may be a top 3 season of the shot clock era, and that does take a competent coach.

[flyingvee]

Thats was a typo, meant to say Horace Grant, not Grant Hill. The Grant's got me twisted.

[Gant]

Good discussion.

Ian Thomsen from SI on the subject:

"Doc Rivers pushed the right buttons in leading the revamped Celtics to the NBA title.
How Doc Rivers outcoached Phil Jackson. The bottom line is that the Celtics had better and older players than L.A. Jackson lost to the better team.
But all year long I was arguing that Rivers did the best coaching job in the league, and the Finals affirmed that. He turned a bunch of high-scoring individuals into a team that shared the ball and played defense. He was secure enough to give control of the defensive end to assistant Tom Thibodeau, even though they had no prior relationship. And he helped raise the performances of Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins to a championship level over the course of the season.

Those who want to say that Rivers was the superior coach in the Finals should focus on his work over the course of the season, because no coach in the history of the league has ever pulled together so many loose ends to form a championship team in one short season. By the time they reached the Finals, the Celtics were playing as cohesively as some of those Spurs teams that have been together for years. It was not as easy to weave that team together as Rivers made it look.

Rivers beat the Lakers in the fine details. For example, the Celtics scored at a high rate following timeouts, which is a small but important measure of a coach's influence on the game. Rivers would design a play and more often than not the Celtics would execute it for a good shot. Too many times the Lakers were unable to execute offensively coming out of their huddles ... because of Boston's superior defense, of course."

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/w ... own/2.html

[Bensational]

Those who want to say that Rivers was the superior coach in the Finals should focus on his work over the course of the season, because no coach in the history of the league has ever pulled together so many loose ends to form a championship team in one short season. By the time they reached the Finals, the Celtics were playing as cohesively as some of those Spurs teams that have been together for years. It was not as easy to weave that team together as Rivers made it look.

when you've got 2 franchise players who have been notable play makers and selfless players, plus another who's good to drop 7 assists on any given night, it's really not that much of a challenge. These 3 guys have all shown before that they excel with other stars around them. so you can't give him that much credit for that sense.

if Doc could get, say, Zach Randolph, Steve Francis, and Micheal Redd to play as cohesively as the C's have been playing, THEN i'll give him credit for being a good coach.

as i said before. the best thing Doc did was not srew it up, and keep the team motivated and on track all season. that's a great effort. but that just makes him a tour manager in my eyes. he's not a band manager and not a producer. he just keeps things together on the road.

[Gant]

Tough grader. Maybe if he won 76 games and won the finals with 5 injured starters...

[spinedoc]

if Doc could get, say, Zach Randolph, Steve Francis, and Micheal Redd to play as cohesively as the C's have been playing, THEN i'll give him credit for being a good coach.

as i said before. the best thing Doc did was not srew it up, and keep the team motivated and on track all season.

LOL, now thats some coaching right there. If you can get those three to share the ball, you deserve to go to the Hall of Fame straight away. I agree though, he didn't do anything miraculous imo. Those three could have coached the team themselves in game. I always liked Doc and his personality, but ex-players usually make the worst coaches, the good ones anyway. Marginal players like Riley and Phil, and maybe Skiles are the exception. The adage of those who can't play, coach, usually rings true.

edit: Actually Doc almost did screw it up by letting two of those series go seven games before he got to the finals. He was more of a head motivator than head coach imo. I guess its more jealousy on my part, lol.

[noblejedi777]

I have to agree with maginno, he's not bashing your opinion, but he is pointing out some of the things you said, unless we misunderstood, i think we all read correctly what you said. It was a figure of speech using the "any coach" could have coached that team to a finals. I dont agree with the statement, but you are entitled to your opinion. To be honest, Ray-ray, KG and Pierce along with the others on that team, it could have gone either way, this team could have gone south and egg wouldve been on all of mgt's faces; you had to mesh personalities and get everyone on the same page to play team ball. Keeping this in mind, Ray-ray seems to me like the consummate professional of the three, I'm thinking he was the great equalizer and the calming influence that kept the three gelling. KG is just pure talent and power. The dude is just a pure stud man. He proved it at Minnie and brought his game to Boston. Both KG and Ray-ray needed that complete team around them and a decent coach, and the system to get it done. All of that was there and they rode that train all the waay to the finals. Grats to them for winning it all. It wasnt a gimme man, they had to work for it and despite the naysayers, they got it done, so bravo to the Celtics.

This is their moment, so let them relish in it, that includes Doc.

[ivDT]

better than pat riley.

what?

[macdalejax]

One name... Tom Thibodeau. He's responsible for the defense this team played.

Next season the Celtics slip and hit a streak losing 10 of 12 before the break. Doc gets fired and Tom T (Mr. D) takes over the team. Mark it down now....it will happen.