Doc Rivers to Celtic fans who say he walked out on them: You're right

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Rivers points out that he did leave for what amounts to a promotion, since not only is he head coach but also VP for player personnel.  He obviously wasn't going to get power over personnel decisions while Ainge was running the show in Boston.  I'd even say that Doc and Danny felt they were going to butt heads and have some ferocious arguments over players if they were both around for a rebuilding period.  So, in some ways, it's like saying an assistant going for a head coaching job elsewhere is walking out on the team.

I think this brings up an excellent point that really wasn't talked about as much as maybe it should have.  HC + Senior VP is a def a step up.  How many of those types of positions ever become available to an active coach?  Not very many.

Like a lot of us, I wish that Doc would have been more straight forward in his explanation for leaving and just taken more responsibility for the change.  The way he tried to pass it off as a shared thing with DA had me shaking my head.  If he would have owned it more, I would have had more respect for him and that decision.

In the end though, we get probably a better coach and a better fit for where we are now, and for the next few seasons.

[Clench123]

He said, "This is the first time I've been able to coach and run a team." 

Anybody want to explain what he meant by that?  Who was running the team when he was coaching the Celtics?

[the_Bird]

He said, "This is the first time I've been able to coach and run a team." 

Anybody want to explain what he meant by that?  Who was running the team when he was coaching the Celtics?

....  he's talking about Danny Ainge, I'm sure.  Doc was coaching and I'm sure had some input on personnel moves, but he wasn't making the draft picks and signing the free agents and doing all that stuff.  Danny was the one buying the groceries!

[LooseCannon]

He said, "This is the first time I've been able to coach and run a team." 

Anybody want to explain what he meant by that?  Who was running the team when he was coaching the Celtics?

What I mentioned above.  He gets power over player moves.  It's in his contract.  The first test of that was the report that he was ready to quit when Donald Sterling wanted to block the JJ Redick trade.

I wonder if his motivation is partly due to the Perk trade.  It was reported that there was an initial deal which Doc was against and that he approved a reworked trade.  Maybe it was that he became resigned to a deal happening whether he wanted one or not.  Maybe he doesn't want to be in that position again.

Maybe Doc sees himself becoming a GM in the future and would prefer that role over going back to broadcasting.

[bdm860]

I’m one of the guys that was bitter with Ray for leaving, but had no ill will towards Doc leaving.  Why anybody would want the highest paid coach in the league, whose strength is coaching veterans, on a rebuilding team is beyond me.

Doc and the Celtics were like a couple in love.  Sure just a year ago they were both saying we’ll stay together forever, even bought a house together, got a dog together, but then things changed throughout the year.  The magic was gone, it was clear they didn’t have much in common anymore and were drifting apart.  They didn’t enjoy hanging out with each other’s friends, they wanted to do different things and had differing opinions on where they were as a couple, etc..  Maybe one wanted kids now, while the other didn’t.  Maybe one wanted a career change, while the other thought it was a mistake to give up a good job.   Even though the warning signs were there a year ago, they both chose to ignore it because they were in love, and after all love conquers all, right?  Well not this time, and the one just didn’t want to stay in a  relationship that had lost its spark anymore and called for the breakup.

He says it was a mutual breakup.  Even compensated her to help sell the house/take care of the dog/whatever.

She says, no you chose to walk out on me, Her friends and family back her up trying to argue with the guy over it whenever they see him out and hear him say it was mutual.

Finally a few months later, and he say’s you’re right, it was my fault, it was me who ended the relationship.

Like really, that’s what you’re going to focus on?  I mean even at the time, many who knew both thought it was the best decision for all involved to part ways, yet some were hung up on who decided to call it quits, and be mad at the guy for that?  Even though in hindsight it was clearly the right move for both, she’s even found someone even better who did the things she always wished her ex did, but you’re still mad at the guy for making the right decision for all involved?

That’s kind of how I view the Doc situation.

[Vox_Populi]

He said, "This is the first time I've been able to coach and run a team." 

Anybody want to explain what he meant by that?  Who was running the team when he was coaching the Celtics?

He's the senior VP of Basketball Operations in L.A.

[MBunge]

We hired Doc when no one wanted him.  Until the trade that created the 'new big three' he wasn't anything special. 

No great loss that he's not here - Stevens is a much better option for this team than Doc would have been.  That being said I cannot root for him, unless of course the Clips are playing the Lakers or Heat.

Um, we hired him after he spent less than a season as a TV analyst. By the same token by which Doc was "nothing special", Stevens is "nothing special" this year himself.

Now that's some revisionist history.  Doc was well liked around the league, but few if any would have seriously argued he was anything more than just another NBA coach after his stint in Orlando.  I mean, Avery Johnson, Sam Mitchell and Byron Scott have all won coach of the year.

Stevens, on the other hand, was one of the most highly regarded young coaches in college.  Just about every major college program in the country would have run panting after Stevens if they were in need of a coach.  Ainge landing him is waaaaay different than the hiring of Doc.

Mike

[kozlodoev]

We hired Doc when no one wanted him.  Until the trade that created the 'new big three' he wasn't anything special. 

No great loss that he's not here - Stevens is a much better option for this team than Doc would have been.  That being said I cannot root for him, unless of course the Clips are playing the Lakers or Heat.

Um, we hired him after he spent less than a season as a TV analyst. By the same token by which Doc was "nothing special", Stevens is "nothing special" this year himself.

Now that's some revisionist history.  Doc was well liked around the league, but few if any would have seriously argued he was anything more than just another NBA coach after his stint in Orlando.  I mean, Avery Johnson, Sam Mitchell and Byron Scott have all won coach of the year.

Stevens, on the other hand, was one of the most highly regarded young coaches in college.  Just about every major college program in the country would have run panting after Stevens if they were in need of a coach.  Ainge landing him is waaaaay different than the hiring of Doc.

Rivers may have been just another NBA coach. Stevens, however, was not an NBA coach at all. You only need to go back to Rick Pitino to see whether a good college pedigree translates into a successful NBA career.

[BadNewsBarnes]

We hired Doc when no one wanted him.  Until the trade that created the 'new big three' he wasn't anything special. 

No great loss that he's not here - Stevens is a much better option for this team than Doc would have been.  That being said I cannot root for him, unless of course the Clips are playing the Lakers or Heat.

Um, we hired him after he spent less than a season as a TV analyst. By the same token by which Doc was "nothing special", Stevens is "nothing special" this year himself.

Um, let's give Stevens a little more time before we make any assessments on his tenure. 

[D.o.s.]

We hired Doc when no one wanted him.  Until the trade that created the 'new big three' he wasn't anything special. 

No great loss that he's not here - Stevens is a much better option for this team than Doc would have been.  That being said I cannot root for him, unless of course the Clips are playing the Lakers or Heat.

Um, we hired him after he spent less than a season as a TV analyst. By the same token by which Doc was "nothing special", Stevens is "nothing special" this year himself.

Now that's some revisionist history.  Doc was well liked around the league, but few if any would have seriously argued he was anything more than just another NBA coach after his stint in Orlando.  I mean, Avery Johnson, Sam Mitchell and Byron Scott have all won coach of the year.

Stevens, on the other hand, was one of the most highly regarded young coaches in college.  Just about every major college program in the country would have run panting after Stevens if they were in need of a coach.  Ainge landing him is waaaaay different than the hiring of Doc.

Rivers may have been just another NBA coach. Stevens, however, was not an NBA coach at all. You only need to go back to Rick Pitino to see whether a good college pedigree translates into a successful NBA career.

Nailed it. Doc Rivers went straight to the head coaching gig from playing (and broadcasting), no assistant stops. He won Coach of the Year that year. Somehow I don't think Jason Kidd is going to do the same, even with a roster roughly 7,000,000 times more talented than Doc's Magic squad.


Doc Rivers does his best coaching with veterans who can play to a system. That doesn't make him Vinny Del Negro when he doesn't have that kind of team.

[SCeltic34]

The only thing that bothered me (but not much) is that he tried to pin his departure on Danny when he was clearly lying to the media around the time of his acceptance to join the Clips.  At least now he admits it.

But does it really matter at this point how things transpired?  It's in the past and has been for a long time now. 

I'm not a huge fan of Rivers, but if I was at TD tonight I'd give him a huge round of applause for his 9 years of service with the C's, one of which netted us Banner 17.

[BadNewsBarnes]

Doc Rivers does his best coaching with veterans who can play to a system. That doesn't make him Vinny Del Negro when he doesn't have that kind of team.

This where I am.  Doc did not want any part of rebuilding and is probably not the best coach for a team that is in rebuild mode.  That's why I believe Stevens is a better fit at this point.

Also, agree with SCeltic34 about Doc's departure.  I would applaud him for helping us win the championship in 2008 but beyond that I have no reason to root for the Clips. 

[Kiorrik]

Love his honesty in this. (that's what the topic started out about, if ya'll recall :p)

[Clench123]

He said, "This is the first time I've been able to coach and run a team." 

Anybody want to explain what he meant by that?  Who was running the team when he was coaching the Celtics?

He's the senior VP of Basketball Operations in L.A.

Wow.  Thanks for that.

[Clench123]

Love his honesty in this. (that's what the topic started out about, if ya'll recall :p)

I think the problem I have with him and his honesty now is that it came too late.  He denied and played the victim all along and has changed his story every single time he's in front of the mic.