Danny Ainge, Doc Rivers Quite the Pair

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Danny Ainge, Doc Rivers quite the pair
Questions still dogging coach’s status

Friday, May 31, 2013
By: Steve Bulpett


It’s nearly June. Do you know who your head coach is?

It’s a question with which the Celtics seem to be struggling. According to some folks who have basketball business with the club, there is growing concern that Doc Rivers has yet to make a public declaration he will continue to lead from the bench. He has remained in regular contact with the Celts, discussing the team’s direction for next season and beyond . . . but the definitive word has been yet unheard.

Into this verbal void has come speculation that:


A) Doc wants to take it easy (read: TV job) for a couple of years;

B) He doesn’t want to be soiled by the Celtics rebuilding project;

C) He and Danny Ainge are not on the same page, and

D) all of the above.

It would probably be fair to say the coach and president of basketball operations have differed on player evaluations over the years, but there has been no problem in the way they work together and their personal relationship.

There’s an old political line that states if two men agree on everything, one of them is not needed. (That predicate has been amended today to “they start a cable news channel.”) While Ainge had nothing to offer on his coach’s comings and potential goings — especially not after saying two weeks ago it was settled — he did address their basketball opinions.

“What I find when I talk to Doc is that I think we’re similar in a lot of ways, in that we both like to argue and debate points,” said Ainge. “But when the dust settles, we’re really very close and not far apart on anything.

“I’m not saying we’re exactly alike, but we’re a lot closer to agreeing on how the game should be played with our personnel than people might think, even though our personalities might be different. I think that a lot of things we do on our team are not the way Doc would do them with every team. Like if Doc had the personnel of some teams, you would see a completely different style of play.”

To those close to the situation, it’s illustrated by Ainge not minding the Ricky Davis types, while such players drive Doc to distraction.

We’re pretty much talking about the fast break game here. The type of game Tommy Heinsohn has been pining for, and the style favored by Ainge, as well. But the latter came out in strong support of his coach on this point.

“Doc wants to play up-tempo,” said Ainge. “We all want to play up-tempo. But that’s a serious commitment, and you have to have the right personnel to do that and still be able to defend.

“Doc and I have talked about tempo a lot. Doc really wants to play up-tempo, but you have to have the right players to do it. I don’t really want to get into our personnel, but I think Doc has played the right style of basketball for our team over the last while. Our identity has been built on defense, and you cannot be a defensive team and an up-tempo team.

“The tempo does come from the defense, but teams that run after taking the ball out of the net from made baskets, that’s a whole other commitment. And I’m not sure our personnel was ready for that.”

This is not, Ainge stated, a control issue for Rivers.

“It depends on who you’re giving the control to, because when you’re running, you’re giving the control to five guys,” Ainge said. “You’re not giving it to just your point guard. You’re giving it to everybody. The ball’s pushed up ahead and everybody has to make the right decisions. But the other thing is that we play the way we do because the strength of our team for six straight years — even this year when we were at our best — was our defense. There was a stretch this past season when we were on a winning streak where we were the No. 1 defensive team in the league.”

Speaking of defensive, that’s how Rivers can get when discussing his alleged reticence regarding young players and his rotation. Ainge acknowledged it’s easier for a GM to look at the distant picture, while the coach is charged with winning on December night in Clevelanapolis. But though it’s known he’s fond of his draft picks, Ainge backs Rivers’ way of doing things.

“Doc’s a tough grader,” he said. “It took Rajon Rondo half a year (to earn Rivers’ trust). It took Leon Powe a long time. It took Ryan Gomes a long time. These guys needed a while before Doc saw what they could do and felt he could play them. The only guys who really didn’t take a long time were Big Al (Jefferson) and Jared (Sullinger). And sometimes that’s a good thing. I’d rather have Doc be a tough grader and make guys earn their opportunities than just give free passes to players.”

That gets even more important when a team is in reconstruction. For now, however, the Celtics are still waiting for word whether Rivers will be wearing a hard hat.


bob


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