Doc Rivers appreciation thread

[Drucci]

Really overlooked in this Celtics playoffs run, is the amazing job Doc has done with his team.

Frankly, when I think of his coaching so far, I recall only one mistake he made : not calling a timeout at the end of regulation in game 4.

Other than that, he has been simply tremendous. Great motivational speeches, he always keeps the team focused and on its toes, he always takes good timeouts (excellent timing, he prevents potential collapses by calling it at the right time because he know his team so well that he can see if they are losing focus), he does a great job managing the minutes (alternating between Ray and Paul), trusting his bench, giving his chance to Nate in a crucial game when he predicted a long time ago that he would win a game for us...

And, of course, he kept believing in this team all year long. Didn't want to change their habits or their plan, didn't panick or overreact. I was claiming that he had lost his team's confidence during the season and thought he would be gone this summer but he has done a tremendous job of keeping the faith, spreading it to the team, and gambling on health rather than seedings for the playoffs.

It was a gamble and so far it has been paying. Kudos to Doc, he is one of the biggest reasons of our success!

[Roy Hobbs]

Well done, Doc. 

Doc has been a perfect coach for this team.  There were definitely some legitimate questions this year about the team's seeming lack of motivation, but it seems like Doc handled that situation perfectly and got his team to play at the right time.

[Birdbrain]

Really overlooked in this Celtics playoffs run, is the amazing job Doc has done with his team.

Frankly, when I think of his coaching so far, I recall only one mistake he made : not calling a timeout at the end of regulation in game 4.

Other than that, he has been simply tremendous. Great motivational speeches, he always keeps the team focused and on its toes, he always takes good timeouts (excellent timing, he prevents potential collapses by calling it at the right time because he know his team so well that he can see if they are losing focus), he does a great job managing the minutes (alternating between Ray and Paul), trusting his bench, giving his chance to Nate in a crucial game when he predicted a long time ago that he would win a game for us...

And, of course, he kept believing in this team all year long. Didn't want to change their habits or their plan, didn't panick or overreact. I was claiming that he had lost his team's confidence during the season and thought he would be gone this summer but he has done a tremendous job of keeping the faith, spreading it to the team, and gambling on health rather than seedings for the playoffs.

It was a gamble and so far it has been paying. Kudos to Doc, he is one of the biggest reasons of our success!

Very nice post.

Doc fits like a glove with this team.  A player's coach that is a great motivator.

We should all thank our lucky stars Danny stuck with Doc when a lot people were calling for his head a few years ago.

[hwangjini_1]

good thread.

after all the complaints, moaning, gnawing of teeth, and down right insults cb tossed at doc it is about time we do recognize what he did this year.

he knew health was more important than regular season wins. he was right.

and i agree, so far he has outcoached his opponents. svg is a good coach and doc did well.

thank you doc. now win the finals!!!!

[ACF]

I've always liked Doc.

[nickagneta]

Being a Doc supporter here through thick and thin I just want to say that I love the fact that Doc believed in this team and willed this team on the way he did this year. This has probably been his best coaching job he has done as a coach here in Boston this year, given the circumstances.

[housecall]

Ray basically said it all in their postgame presser last night,"Doc believed in us even when we had start to doubt ourselves"and kept after us to keep the faith.Ray gives Doc&coacing staff a huge amount of the credit for their success this postseason.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Doc's biggest contribution is as a type of mentor. There really are some questionable things he does once the game starts, but what coach is without coaching decisions criticism?

He's stubborn, which might be a reason why many of his decisions on the floor don't look good... but that same stubbornness also pays off with dividends at other times.

So while he has a ton to improve coaching a game, his contributions elsewhere far out-weight in my opinion any of those "weaknesses". And he always seems to say the right things to get the responses he wants from his players.

[nickagneta]

Okay, gotta ask. Given what the players who have played under Doc say about him, given he has won a Coach of the Year Award and an NBA Championship already, if the Celtics win it all this year and Doc were never to coach another game ever again, is he Hall of Fame worthy as a coach?

2 Championships and a Coach of the Year Award while coming in 2nd for that award another year in just an 11 year career. Coach of the team that had the single greatest turnaround in NBA history. Coach that(thinking ahead here) out coached and beat Phil Jackson twice in the Finals.

Food for thought.

[misha]

Love all the credit that Doc is receiving.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AmzGGYV7VcFYGceLIqkGBnK8vLYF?slug=aw-celticsfinals052910

[Cman]

Woj had a nice article on yahoo this morning about Doc Rivers:
http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=AlaJf0eeSxjGqzwP4wTsaCy8vLYF?slug=aw-celticsfinals052910

here's one nugget:

Rivers would march into the locker room and insist, “We’re not changing anything.” Over and over, Rivers would tell them they were the best defensive team in the NBA. He would tell them they still had the core of the ’08 champions, and no one had ever beaten them when the starting five had been together. They watched the Cleveland Cavaliers make dramatic change to their lineup and fail. They watched Orlando make the move for Vince Carter(notes)  and watched him completely crumble under the burden of expectations in the conference finals.

“But the one constant Boston had as a contender was that we had the same starting five,” Pierce said.

Rivers always talked about it, always told them, “I like this team guys.” They loved him for it, too. Deep down, they never lost sight of the fact Rivers always fought for them, that he never stopped selling the locker room on the belief that when together, when whole, they were still champions.

Edit: whoops, TP Misha you beat me to it...

[BudweiserCeltic]

Okay, gotta ask. Given what the players who have played under Doc say about him, given he has won a Coach of the Year Award and an NBA Championship already, if the Celtics win it all this year and Doc were never to coach another game ever again, is he Hall of Fame worthy as a coach?

2 Championships and a Coach of the Year Award while coming in 2nd for that award another year in just an 11 year career. Coach of the team that had the single greatest turnaround in NBA history. Coach that(thinking ahead here) out coached and beat Phil Jackson twice in the Finals.

Food for thought.

Who's the coach with the least amount of seasons coached in the HoF? I think that should shed some light into it.

[Roy Hobbs]

Okay, gotta ask. Given what the players who have played under Doc say about him, given he has won a Coach of the Year Award and an NBA Championship already, if the Celtics win it all this year and Doc were never to coach another game ever again, is he Hall of Fame worthy as a coach?

2 Championships and a Coach of the Year Award while coming in 2nd for that award another year in just an 11 year career. Coach of the team that had the single greatest turnaround in NBA history. Coach that(thinking ahead here) out coached and beat Phil Jackson twice in the Finals.

Food for thought.

It's hard to say.  K.C. Jones never got in as a coach, and he and Doc are on about the same level, in terms of credentials.  Based upon some of the other coaches in the Hall of Fame, though, he's probably not all that far off; his win totals and winning percentages are probably a bit low, but they're within striking distance. 

[Roy Hobbs]

Okay, gotta ask. Given what the players who have played under Doc say about him, given he has won a Coach of the Year Award and an NBA Championship already, if the Celtics win it all this year and Doc were never to coach another game ever again, is he Hall of Fame worthy as a coach?

2 Championships and a Coach of the Year Award while coming in 2nd for that award another year in just an 11 year career. Coach of the team that had the single greatest turnaround in NBA history. Coach that(thinking ahead here) out coached and beat Phil Jackson twice in the Finals.

Food for thought.

Who's the coach with the least amount of seasons coached in the HoF? I think that should shed some light into it.

John Kunda has 423 wins, but four NBA championships and a BAA title, and a .632 winning percentage in the playoffs.

Bill Sharman has 333 NBA wins, and 133 in the ABA, with one title in each league.

I think those are the two closest in terms of Doc's credentials right now.  Hubie Brown was elected to the HOF, but he made it as a contributor, rather than as a coach.

[hwangjini_1]

Okay, gotta ask. Given what the players who have played under Doc say about him, given he has won a Coach of the Year Award and an NBA Championship already, if the Celtics win it all this year and Doc were never to coach another game ever again, is he Hall of Fame worthy as a coach?

2 Championships and a Coach of the Year Award while coming in 2nd for that award another year in just an 11 year career. Coach of the team that had the single greatest turnaround in NBA history. Coach that(thinking ahead here) out coached and beat Phil Jackson twice in the Finals.

Food for thought.

only 2?!?!?!   

i think doc will be able to deliver at least 3, which is why he will stay one more year.

i am already hoping for #19.