Doc, KG, Rondo + the Clips

[winsomme]

I just don't think Blake Griffin is that good and is seriously shying away from the pressure.

I think its pretty likely that his injuroes over the past 2 playoffs have been extremely embeillished to hamper his playoff expectations.

Seems like it has worked as he has gotten a free pass the last couple years.

By the way I thought it was Vinny del negro that was holding the clips back the past couple years?

I don't like him as a building block either. I really don't get the allure of that team. The owner is shady and the talent is questionable.

Ironically, I think they are less stable than the Cs. I really don't see Doc liking it there. CP is a nice player, but the rest of that team is sketchy...

Also, don't forget you got Houston on the verge of being really good, SAS back in the saddle, Memphis, OKC, etc.

[LilRip]

I'm not sold on either rebuilding as "Rondo's team" or paying big money for Josh Smith.  But I agree, it does almost look and sound as if Danny's earlier efforts to move Rondo may have been at Doc's request--and he could be less inclined to do so now.

Unfortunately, he doesn't have much of a choice at this point. Rondo's value must be pretty low coming off of knee surgery. You can't sell low on Rondo. He is our best talent right now.

I love Rondo as a player, but I am getting tired of all the relational problems he seems to have. I'm not blaming him for Ray and Doc, but there is a pattern there.

same, which is why i can't imagine him being "the man" here in Boston. He'll be a leader on the court because he plays with so much heart, but i don't see him leading the team off the court. Currently, it's KG and Pierce who are pretty much the heart of the team but if both are gone, then i have a hard time imagining Rondo stepping into that role.

[rohanzsta]

Not really buying that Doc left cuz of Rondo unless someone says something (like the way Ray did), but I doubt that will happen.

I think his original interest with the clips was cuz he knew KG was coming along with him, and KG+CP3 would do wonders to that locker room. But then the media blew this way out of proportion, made Doc look like the bad guy, and it got to a point where he knew he simply couldn't come back as the Celtics coach after publicly flirting with another team so strongly.

I honestly think the decision for him was more between going back to broadcasting or coaching the clips. But I'm sure next year while he's coaching the clips, he'll be thinking "f*** I needed KG in this trade. [dang]it Stern!" 

[RJ87]

Why is there always a need to blame Rondo for everything?  Could it just be that Doc is ready for a new situation and a new challenge? 9 years is a long time to be with one team in today's NBA and there's so much uncertainty over the Celtics right now.

I know its hard to believe,  but the Clippers are in a better situation than we are right now. They have CP3 and Blake which is as good a foundation to build around as any. For all the knocks on Blake, he's still an all-star 20/10 big man. He's not even in his prime yet, CP3 is the best PG in the game, Jamal Crawford is great sixth man, and they can flip Bledsoe to upgrade their wing situation. Del Negro is an okay coach, but I think they needed an upgrade there. Doc is a major upgrade - and he gets control over personnel decisions.

Its a great opportunity for both sides.

[guava_wrench]

I can't blame Doc for leaving. First, fans here have a sense of entitlement and will blame coaches to death when the team isn't that good. Second, he would know better than anyone if Rondo will still listen to him or if he is getting tuned out.

[Tgro]

Rondo, PP, Green, Josh Smith, KG starting 5 is kinda a beast. Would anybody be excited to play that team?

Still, I also wouldn't mind Danny figuring out how to land a PG in this draft (Larkin, Carter-Williams) and then move Rondo for a big (how about Rondo for DMC..)

I have no idea what this team is going to look like next year.

I could get kind of excited for next season if we kept the band together and brought that to the court. It gives a last hurrah for PP and KG, allows us to have a GOOD transition year as Rondo learns to be MORE of a leader and it's basically a better team than what we had this year minus Doc plus PP and KG are again another year older.

I was all for us running it back after this last season and then all this went down with Doc and KG and I've pretty much figured we were going to just tank and collect assets for the following season. I'm okay with that too, but that is a lot less exciting to watch and I'll miss the guys. I'm gonna have a hard time dealing with not seeing KG + PP + Doc. I can handle Doc being gone. And the rebuilding will keep coming in waves. I would expect even more so after this next season. I believe Danny can rebuild us AND keep us relevant.

But I would certainly be entertained if that team was on the floor. Especially with a decent coach and hopefully a few more role players. I'll appreciate every moment we have regardless how it turns out. 

[Who]

I really like the Clippers. I thought they were a top 5 team in the league last year.

I think they are much closer to winning a title than they are given credit for.