Between Doc (Clippers) & Brad (Boston), who will win a championship first?

[Eja117]

Doc and Stevens don't have comparable resumes: Doc blows him out of the water. That's the fact. Reading the earnest crusades otherwise gets old after a while.

Parts of my hypothetical narrative above is reflected in some of their IMs back in those days.

But Stevens doesn't have the word "quitter" on his resume unless you want to be very liberal with your interpretations.

Realistically the way things likely turn out in LA is that they fail to get over the hump. They sign him to a big contract. Suddenly "anonymous sources" are telling ESPN reporters that Doc wants to coach Anthony Davis or possibly Durant wherever they are. Doc leaves. Gets indignant at local reporters calling him what he is.

I would say the same about Phil. He is the ultimate quitter and his record is flawed/tainted/overrated.

This painting by Cezanne is an excellent example of a post impressionist still life with an emphasis on geometrical simplicity. It is called Apples and Oranges.

That's very enlightening but it's inaccurate.  Doc left when the team wasn't championship-caliber.  Jackson has done that multple times.  Apples and apples.

As DOS likes to say "context".  Doc has never had the health issues that Phil had. Also Phil hasn't signed a long contract and then decided a year later he was too good for it and then leaked it and acted surprised when called out. Phil usually gave his team a heads up way in advance that he might be leaving.

[Boris Badenov]

But Stevens doesn't have the word "quitter" on his resume unless you want to be very liberal with your interpretations.

Well, Doc quit his job at the Celtics to take a better one and Stevens quit his job at Butler to take a better one too. That doesn't seem all that liberal to me.

It's always amused me that none of the people who vilified Doc for not "honoring his contract" with the Celtics seem to have an issue with the fact that Stevens was a mere two years into his recently negotiated 12-year contract extension when he quit Butler to join the Celtics.

[JHTruth]

IDK until the Cs get some real players, CBS is much much farther away than Doc..

[TitleMaster]

If Danny were to add one 2004 Paul Pierce caliber player to this team, then Brad could actually get us into the semi-conference finals, assuming that we play the third or fourth seed and not the first, during the opening round.

fair assessment.  having a player of that level on this team in this weak Eastern conference would probably be enough to put this as the #5 team assuming they're current level of play was how they had played all year.

2004 Pierce was a lethal go-to scorer, particularly in the 4th quarter --> a player this team could desperately use

The thing here is that if let's say Jim O'Brien or Doc Rivers were in the situation where the 2004 Paul Pierce fell into their lap, they'd ride him into the ground, until finally, during the game 5-to-7 area in the semi-conference finals, that he'd be less effective, as he'd be worn out, fighting double and triple teams, all of the time.

I believe that Brad's strategy would keep the 2004 Pierce, fresh for his Q4 dynamo plays. And thus, the chances of going far in the semi-conference is very high. Sure, we may not win, but at least it'll be the best outing possible for the given roster.

[Eja117]

But Stevens doesn't have the word "quitter" on his resume unless you want to be very liberal with your interpretations.

Well, Doc quit his job at the Celtics to take a better one and Stevens quit his job at Butler to take a better one too. That doesn't seem all that liberal to me.

It's always amused me that none of the people who vilified Doc for not "honoring his contract" with the Celtics seem to have an issue with the fact that Stevens was a mere two years into his recently negotiated 12-year contract extension when he quit Butler to join the Celtics.

My understanding is that Brad has outs in his current contract to be able to go to two different schools. (Maybe a wrong understanding). I would be surprised if his recent contract didn't have that.  There is a pretty big difference between leaving Butler for the Celtics and the Celtics for the Clippers. Did Doc have such an out in his contract? Did Doc leave the Celts in better shape than he found it? Did Brad leave Butler in better shape than he found it? Now who gets the credit for that? Who gets the credit at Butler? Stevens? Who gets the credit for the Celtics? Ainge. Stevens wouldn't even be here if Doc hadn't been too good to coach here.

[Eja117]

But Stevens doesn't have the word "quitter" on his resume unless you want to be very liberal with your interpretations.

Well, Doc quit his job at the Celtics to take a better one and Stevens quit his job at Butler to take a better one too. That doesn't seem all that liberal to me.

It's always amused me that none of the people who vilified Doc for not "honoring his contract" with the Celtics seem to have an issue with the fact that Stevens was a mere two years into his recently negotiated 12-year contract extension when he quit Butler to join the Celtics.

Butler seemed to not have a problem with it.

http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/id/9448871/brad-stevens-hired-boston-celtics-head-coach

Maybe because people understand leaving for far more money, but don't get leaving for less.

[indeedproceed]

Doc and Stevens don't have comparable resumes: Doc blows him out of the water. That's the fact. Reading the earnest crusades otherwise gets old after a while.

Parts of my hypothetical narrative above is reflected in some of their IMs back in those days.

But Stevens doesn't have the word "quitter" on his resume unless you want to be very liberal with your interpretations.

Realistically the way things likely turn out in LA is that they fail to get over the hump. They sign him to a big contract. Suddenly "anonymous sources" are telling ESPN reporters that Doc wants to coach Anthony Davis or possibly Durant wherever they are. Doc leaves. Gets indignant at local reporters calling him what he is.

I would say the same about Phil. He is the ultimate quitter and his record is flawed/tainted/overrated.

This painting by Cezanne is an excellent example of a post impressionist still life with an emphasis on geometrical simplicity. It is called Apples and Oranges.

That's very enlightening but it's inaccurate.  Doc left when the team wasn't championship-caliber.  Jackson has done that multple times.  Apples and apples.

As DOS likes to say "context".  Doc has never had the health issues that Phil had. Also Phil hasn't signed a long contract and then decided a year later he was too good for it and then leaked it and acted surprised when called out. Phil usually gave his team a heads up way in advance that he might be leaving.

You think Doc wanting out in the event of a full rebuild was really a surprise to Danny Ainge? I bet he's more surprised that we're winning games lately. 

[MBunge]

Doc left Boston because, even though he was going to get paid a lot of money and had the total support of management, he didn't want to deal with rebuilding and probably liked the idea of being the GM in addition to coach.  After emotions cool, it's hard to really blame him.

What you can blame Doc for is trying to pretend he was doing it for ant other reason.  At least Stevens didn't do anything like that when he left Butler.

Mike

[MBunge]

Doc and Stevens don't have comparable resumes: Doc blows him out of the water. That's the fact. Reading the earnest crusades otherwise gets old after a while.

Parts of my hypothetical narrative above is reflected in some of their IMs back in those days.

But Stevens doesn't have the word "quitter" on his resume unless you want to be very liberal with your interpretations.

Realistically the way things likely turn out in LA is that they fail to get over the hump. They sign him to a big contract. Suddenly "anonymous sources" are telling ESPN reporters that Doc wants to coach Anthony Davis or possibly Durant wherever they are. Doc leaves. Gets indignant at local reporters calling him what he is.

I would say the same about Phil. He is the ultimate quitter and his record is flawed/tainted/overrated.

This painting by Cezanne is an excellent example of a post impressionist still life with an emphasis on geometrical simplicity. It is called Apples and Oranges.

That's very enlightening but it's inaccurate.  Doc left when the team wasn't championship-caliber.  Jackson has done that multple times.  Apples and apples.

As DOS likes to say "context".  Doc has never had the health issues that Phil had. Also Phil hasn't signed a long contract and then decided a year later he was too good for it and then leaked it and acted surprised when called out. Phil usually gave his team a heads up way in advance that he might be leaving.

You think Doc wanting out in the event of a full rebuild was really a surprise to Danny Ainge? I bet he's more surprised that we're winning games lately.

Do you think the subject never came up when they negotiated that new contract?  Did Doc think Ainge was going to find the Fountain of Youth and keep KG playing at high level for another 4 or 5 years?  Why would Ainge have given him the deal without getting Doc to buy into a rebuild?

Mike