I liked doc's postgame interview

[Ogaju]

You guys are too too much.

So you mean Doc cannot get the players to play the way he wants and that is good coaching? I thought Doc's  best asset was the respect he had from players. If this is so, why does the team take so many jump shots if their coach wants to go inside?

So TWill finally plays in GAME 5 of the playoff series? It took our coach 5 GAMES to make an adjustment that folks in CelticBlog Chat were asking for before game 1???

Doc is just not a very good coach, I have said it once and will say it again he either stumbles or lucks into adjustments. He overplays his star players, and he does not know how to ride the hot hand.

Thank goodness we are loaded with VETS. Doc would fail woefully with a team like Golden State.

[Clench123]

I think this statement goes to prove just how wrong most people on CB are about Doc. Most of Doc's detractors think that what happens on the court is what Doc wanted to happen on the court. They think Doc wants the team taking outside shots and they think Doc doesn't want to push the ball inside or attack or that Doc is somehow in love with small ball.

But sometimes the best laid game plans of coaches go for not and players do what they want. Actually, that happens a lot in today's player/star driven NBA. Coaches tell the players what they want done and the players just do what they want, regardless of the coaching. Also, sometimes you just have to play your best players and if they all happen to be 6'4" - 6'9", then it looks like small ball. Doesn't mean you love playing that style.

I just think Doc is vastly misunderstood by a majority of those here on CB who don't like him because they just have no idea what really happens in a professional locker room or how managing a team is so completely different than coaching a team.

so you are saying this team is hard headed and does not listen to doc?Or is dumb at times?  I have made that same statement. sadly though it rests on docs shoulders at the end whether we like it or not. 

Well all Doc can do is either play or not play players. He has input on which players come in and which players stay or leave when it comes to trades but he doesn't determine who is on the team. Once on the team, Doc manages the players but if they aren't listening or taking to his coaching, those players tend to disappear after the end of the season or in trades.

I also think coaching in the NBA is a thankless job. You get no credit when you win and all the blame when you lose. If the star players do what they want on the court, and this happens on every team in virtually every game, you really can't sit you star players without massive front office support.

Yeah, Doc is ultimately responsible if the players don't listen but its more like, as with every NBA coach, if they don't listen to everything, just make sure they are listening to the most important things and manage the results of the players not listening to you as well as you can. That's where I think the best coaches do their jobs. In managing what they are given and what happens on the court to still have success long term.

The past few months have been a real eye-opener for me. With all the evidence we have of Doc's success, every fact is twisted by the Doc-haters into something negative. When a player has a good game, it's proof that Doc criminally ignored him until then. When a player does poorly, it's because Doc is mis-using him. When Pierce/KG play poorly it's because Doc runs his vets into the ground. When the bench plays poorly it's because Doc doesn't know how to play or develop new players. Ad infinitum. It is totally illogical and exhausting.

Just as one example, Terrence Williams was a real difference-maker yesterday, with his ability to break the Knicks' pressure.

Not once have I seen anyone give credit to Doc and Danny for identifying this ability in Twill and building his confidence. Yet, the evidence is there:

http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/id/9007698/terrence-williams-finds-way-boston-celtics

Now, just to be clear I'm not saying Williams is some kind of savior. In fact, I think the opposite - in my mind he's a strictly marginal NBA player at this point.

But what I would say is that Doc found a way for this kid to be as effective as possible. He found one consistent message - "you can help us as a point guard" - and stuck with it.

And yesterday, in the biggest game of the season, that player produced in exactly the way Doc encouraged. That's good coaching.

More generally, once again in a big playoff game the C's came up with one of their best efforts of the year. Once again the Celtics have taken a team with more talent on paper, and given them a run for their money.

And you know what? That's what well-coached teams do.

Man, what a terrific post.  Thanks.  I can't put it any better

[NocturnalRebel]

Doc haters ruin what threads like these were originally/intentionally made for.

[celticsleyte]

Doc is excellent at talking to the press.  How many extra wins does that give us?   

I do not really want to consider Doc a genius coach for letting T-Will play some point guard and yanking Avery Bradley.  AB is a good player but ball handling and creating offense is obviously not his strength...which begs the question: What is up with a starting line up with just one guard when he is not a great ball handler?

I think Doc created a problem then offered a solution.  I think he is a decent coach but far from elite.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

If this is about the good of Doc why is it that before anyone said one bad word about him, the majority of the posts are about the people who "hate" on him? It seems like the ruining is coming from the pro side. There is only 1 post on here by someone you would call a "Doc-Hater" and that post comes on page 2!

I'm sorry most people don't join in on the live chat during games but I know for sure that I gave Doc all the props for benching AB and playing TWill (I think I posted it somewhere in a thread too). AB is my second favorite player on the team but I kept saying Doc needs to sit him b/c he was murdering our offense, I also asked for more TWill b/c I saw he could perform exactly what we needed since game 3 (actually since the regular season)!

I have been saying since RR went down that we miss RR but we could be much better if we had ANYONE who could actually play point effectively. While TWill is inexperienced I felt he should have been force fed more minutes during the regular season, especially when KG went down and Doc stopped playing Lee as much... there was plenty of opportunity for him to get more acclimated to the role with more minutes, it's not like we were winning when he wasn't playing. I understand Doc isn't giving out free minutes unless you produce right away, but in this case he should have b/c it has been obvious we were lacking anyone who could run an offense and that TWill is the one guy we do have that is capable of doing it (outside of PP, but he can't do everything we need him to do AND run point all the time)!

Game 4 Doc also gave Twill a bit of leeway even when he had a few t/o. I think he is going to get a lot of leeway next season in an effort to get someone (finally) who can play backup PG competently (at least that's my wish).


Doc's post games are almost always good to me, even when we lose... he's as honest as you can be as a coach talking to the media but still be liked by his players, he admits when he makes mistakes, he always says that he and his team need to do a better job before he says that the players need to.

[SHAQATTACK]

Doc not doing so bad given the talent and injuries .

I think DA  has more pressure to get the Celtics new talent .
maybe we'll finally find another big or center

[Celtics4ever]

Younger talent would help.  Getting younger doesn't always help but talent always helps.

[GzUP617]

Doesn't matter. He still needs to leave, as decided by the people of CelticsBlog, who somehow have more knowledge about the Celtics team than the coach and the players themselves.

Doc should stay, he just needs good help around him,  Doc has his Pros and Cons just like any coach, we need a new offensive and defensive system and players capable of running them as designed. We're playing outdated basketball.

Ainge is going to have his hands tied with work this off-season.

Pierce and KG are great players but their deficiency does not warrant the heavy emphasis they have in the game. Not like we have a choice this year.

But I dont think Doc will reduce their roles if they come back next year.

Either we stall or rebuild, rebuild to me is the right choice, especially if the east conference stays as easy as it is now.  who knows.