Management is in favor of extending Rivers' contract

[campybatman]

Personally, I'm disappointed by reading this. The additions of Garnett and Ray Allen, a healthy Pierce, Rondo's improvement and a veteran lead bench have made Rivers look better than he is as a head coach. Not to mention, the hiring of Tom Thibodeau to replace Tony Brown on defense. It's tough to give Rivers any credit when he has all of this going for him. It's no wonder his all-time coaching record went from being under .500 to over .500 in a short span of one season. Celtics management, Ainge, Thibodeau and most of the players deserve most if not all of the credit for the success of this season. Rivers is a figurehead or a car ornament, so to speak. Am I being harsh with my assessment of him? Hardly, is the case, in my opinion. Rivers is what he is: an average head coach. His current playoffs record speaks for itself. As said, before this season, Rivers had a below .500 winning percentage career wise as a head coach in the NBA. That's awful.

I'll like to see Tom Thibodeau remain but, realistically, he could be gone after the playoffs.

Doc Rivers, one of the front-runners for the NBA

[floyd]

Why would you want continuity? If it ain't broke, definatley fix it. Let's get Larry Freakin' Brown in here.

I'm sure any extension will be based on his performance when it counts - as it should.

[MyInsatiableOne]

Why would you want continuity? If it ain't broke, definatley fix it. Let's get Larry Freakin' Brown in here.

I'm sure any extension will be based on his performance when it counts - as it should.

My sarcasm detector is on high alert!!

But seriously, I'm not surprised at bonsaiflipflops post...some people are such blind Doc-haters they will never give him any credit.

[Joyeuse]

I don't really have anything specific bad to say about Doc. We just won 66 games. All the players love him. We have had solid rotations all year long. We have formed really good short term rotations that win even when our best players are injured. Both the statistics and various knowledgeable sources around the league have claimed he's one fo the best at micromanaging after the timeout. If there's anything that he's doing noticeably wrong, it's something that I won't be able to see as a fan who doesn't get a chance to see practices and can't spot the difference between when players fail to execute plays or the plays unfold as they're supposed to and still fail.

[UGA Hayes]

I'm surprised Doc hasn't been in more of a hurry to get it done. Obviously now isn't the time to talk contract issues but I'm surprised soomething wasn't going on behind the scenes. Doc on a winning team equals a moster PR machine.

[The Rondo Show]

If you are going to give him no credit for coaching an extremely talented team and winning more than any team in the NBA, don't you feel it's a bit of a double standard to bash him for a sub .500 record when he had very little talent on his past teams? This is the first year he's had NBA title contending talent, and he has his team looking like a title contender and winning at a crazy rate.

[return2glory]

Doc has done a good job this year, but as the OP mentioned he has gotten alot of help with the assistant coaches and the great players that Ainge brought in.

I mean to add a great assistant coach and players like KG, Ray, Posey, House and Cassell in one season is unbelievable. Danny Ainge deserves a lot of credit. IMO, Ainge is the GM on the year hands down.

As far as Doc, I couldn't be happier for him. He seems to be a great guy and the players like him. But I'll wait intil the playoffs are over before we talk about extensions.

[JJHondo17]

If you polled his players instead of this board, the reponse would be 100%. Although so far the board is 100% too.

[GreenGrizz]

The players love and respect him. Do you know what it means? It will attract free agents.

[campybatman]

Jim O'Brien got the most out of a team lead by Pierce, Walker and others to the conference finals. O'Brien's philosophy impacted the team in a way that worked.

It's interesting to consider what could've been the shelf life of the 2001-2002 roster beyond this season.

W49-L33 - Defeated in Eastern conference finals versus New Jersey Nets.


Stars

Paul Pierce
Antoine Walker

Key Veterans

Kenny Anderson
Rodney Rogers
Walter McCarty
Eric Williams

Young Talent

Joe Johnson
Kedrick Brown
Joseph Forte

Role Players

Tony Battie
Tony Delk
Erick Strickland
Vitaly Potapenko
Milt Palacio

Others

Mark Blount
Randy Brown

Needless to say, O'Brien had to coach his rear off to manage the best of what he'd in players. And these players had to commit to playing team defense for an entire game. Now let's compare this season with that of Rivers' coaching for the 2006-2007 season.

W24-L58 - Failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Stars

Paul Pierce

Key Veterans

Wally Szczerbiak
Theo Ratliff
Michael Olowokandi

Young Talent

Al Jefferson
Delonte West
Ryan Gomes
Tony Allen
Rajon Rondo
Kendrick Perkins
Leon Powe
Sebastian Telfair
Allan Ray
Gerald Green

Role Players

Brian Scalabrine

Others

Kevinn Pinkney


Doing a quick roster comparison, one could argue that Rivers was put at a disadvantage having more youth than available veterans. Losing Ratliff hurt and the injury proneness of Szczerbiak and Pierce eventually sitting out the season due to an injury are worth mentioning. However, all things given equal, it's hard for me to believe that Rivers couldn't muster at least a forty or more wins season and perhaps a valiant effort in the first round of the playoffs.

I honestly believe that the 2006-2007 roster could've competed against the 2001-2002 roster, if both sides are healthy. But, of course, the defense for Rivers will likely be that he was stifled by the wanting to coach and win games and the need likely brought on by Ainge to develop the younger players at the same time. I'll say this, one obvious mistake done by the 2006-2007 roster was handing the point guard reigns to Telfair and not Rondo based on what he'd flashed in potential during the summer league. Rondo and West could've paired in the back court.

I'm just saying that to believe that Rivers is any better than an average head coach in the league need look no further at the masterful effort by O'Brien in the 2001-2002 season and overall as a Celtics head coach in four seasons.

O'Brien's record in four seasons - W139-L119
Rivers' record in three seasons prior to this season - W102-L144

So, O'Brien did more in one season (reached conference finals; reached second round in following season) than Rivers has done in five seasons with Orlando and three seasons with Boston prior to this season (four consecutive first round eliminations and three failures to qualify for the playoffs between both franchises).

[MyInsatiableOne]

If you are going to give him no credit for coaching an extremely talented team and winning more than any team in the NBA, don't you feel it's a bit of a double standard to bash him for a sub .500 record when he had very little talent on his past teams? This is the first year he's had NBA title contending talent, and he has his team looking like a title contender and winning at a crazy rate.

[MyInsatiableOne]

Jim O'Brien got the most out of a team lead by Pierce, Walker and others to the conference finals. O'Brien's philosophy impacted the team in a way that worked.

It's interesting to consider what could've been the shelf life of the 2001-2002 roster beyond this season.

W49-L33 - Defeated in Eastern conference finals versus New Jersey Nets.


Stars

Paul Pierce
Antoine Walker

Key Veterans

Kenny Anderson
Rodney Rogers
Walter McCarty
Eric Williams

Young Talent

Joe Johnson
Kedrick Brown
Joseph Forte

Role Players

Tony Battie
Tony Delk
Erick Strickland
Vitaly Potapenko
Milt Palacio

Others

Mark Blount
Randy Brown

Needless to say, O'Brien had to coach his rear off to manage the best of what he'd in players. And these players had to commit to playing team defense for an entire game. Now let's compare this season with that of Rivers' coaching for the 2006-2007 season.

W24-L58 - Failed to qualify for the playoffs.

Stars

Paul Pierce

Key Veterans

Wally Szczerbiak
Theo Ratliff
Michael Olowokandi

Young Talent

Al Jefferson
Delonte West
Ryan Gomes
Tony Allen
Rajon Rondo
Kendrick Perkins
Leon Powe
Sebastian Telfair
Allan Ray
Gerald Green

Role Players

Brian Scalabrine

Others

Kevinn Pinkney


Doing a quick roster comparison, one could argue that Rivers was put at a disadvantage having more youth than available veterans. Losing Ratliff hurt and the injury proneness of Szczerbiak and Pierce eventually sitting out the season due to an injury are worth mentioning. However, all things given equal, it's hard for me to believe that Rivers couldn't muster at least a forty or more wins season and perhaps a valiant effort in the first round of the playoffs.

I honestly believe that the 2006-2007 roster could've competed against the 2001-2002 roster, if both sides are healthy. But, of course, the defense for Rivers will likely be that he was stifled by the wanting to coach and win games and the need likely brought on by Ainge to develop the younger players at the same time. I'll say this, one obvious mistake done by the 2006-2007 roster was handing the point guard reigns to Telfair and not Rondo based on what he'd flashed in potential during the summer league. Rondo and West could've paired in the back court.

I'm just saying that to believe that Rivers is any better than an average head coach in the league need look no further at the masterful effort by O'Brien in the 2001-2002 season and overall as a Celtics head coach in four seasons.

O'Brien's record in four seasons - W139-L119
Rivers' record in three seasons prior to this season - W102-L144

So, O'Brien did more in one season (reached conference finals; reached second round in following season) than Rivers has done in five seasons with Orlando and three seasons with Boston prior to this season (four consecutive first round eliminations and three failures to qualify for the playoffs between both franchises).

The lack of talent on last year's team vs the 2001-02 team is jarring. The ECF team would have wiped the floor with last years team, even if they were healthy. To think otherwise is ludicrous.

[Joyeuse]

I THINK I FOUND THE MYSTERY AS TO WHY LAST YEAR'S TEAM WAS BAD!

Stars

Paul Pierce

47 games

Key Veterans

Wally Szczerbiak

32 games

Theo Ratliff

2 games

Michael Olowokandi

15 games

Our "important" veterans (really pushing it with Olowokandi and Ratliff, and I guess even Szczerbiak because he wasn't playing so great last year either) played 96 games combined, so yeah, we sucked. Yet you seem to be insisting that showcasing Telfair instead of playing Rondo while we were in the midst of tanking was the only difference between last year's team and a 49-win team that reached the conference finals.

[floyd]

I can't believe anyone still pines for OB. He hasn't exactly set the world on fire since he left.
Doc got some Orlando teams to over-achive too. It didn't turn into playoff success but I think that says more about Paul Pierce and TMac than about their coaches.

[Bad-Thoma]

Bonsai, I'd tell you what I really think about wanting to get rid of a coach after the best turnaround in nba history, about getting rid of a coach that the players by all accounts love, about getting rid of a coach that has had the team playing consistently hard even in meaningless games, but I'd end up kicked off of here and the playoffs are coming. You have a right to your opinion, and I have a right to mine, and my opinion is that you need to get a **** clue. This team won 66 games, and your looking for a change? Become a Knick fan, that'll be a change.

[cisco]

I don't mind extending Doc's contract, but I think it's foolish to do it before you see how he does in the playoffs. It's not like he's been a great playoff coach in the past.

[JProBU]

-= original quote snipped =-



The lack of talent on last year's team vs the 2001-02 team is jarring. The ECF team would have wiped the floor with last years team, even if they were healthy. To think otherwise is ludicrous.

You seriously think so?

Put those two teams in a 7 game series (healthy) and I say the Toine team wins in 6, but to say they'd wipe the floor with last year's team is complete BS, IMO.

[Celtics_85]

Doc will be signed to an extention, and to all that don't like it, oh well, the players love playing for him. There is no problem with this team as is, and if you want to change the coach, well you must come from the Rick Pitino school of thought.

[The Corey's]

If Tom Thibodeau leaves then it's not good news for Doc.

I dont think it much matters for how good the team is, but it will cost them some wins and defense praise along the way.

[Jammer]

Look, I am not easy on compliments.

However, I think Doc is Coach of the Year. His rotations and substitutions for the most part have been flawless.

And, I thought that he deserved Coach of the Year for the magnificent job that he did in his rookie coaching outing with an unheard of Ben Wallace, Ron Mercer, Chucky Atkins, Bo Outlaw, John Ameachi et al 8 years ago.

Let's hope that the NBA is rooting for Doc Rivers.