Danny Ainge, Celtics at a loss Long-term plans included Rivers

BOSTON HERALD

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

By: Mark Murphy

WALTHAM — At one point last night, after one of his many pauses, Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge looked straight ahead in mild disbelief.

“I still don’t think it’s hit me,” Ainge said of losing his colleague of the last nine years, his friend almost since the first time they faced each other as players.

Doc Rivers, who will be introduced as coach of the Clippers today in Los Angeles, left Ainge and the C’s because of the lure of a better team and a glamorous, warm city where he can play golf whenever he wants. The Celtics receive an unprotected 2015 first-round draft pick, and an NBA mandate that they refrain from any further trades with the Clippers for at least the next season. The Kevin Garnett-for-DeAndre Jordan deal really is dead.


But it was clear from Ainge’s quiet words last night that he wanted none of this. Up until this spring, he thought Rivers felt the same way.

Tellingly, Ainge referred to what had become a common refrain of Rivers’ over the years. The now ex-Celtics coach often talked of how special it would be to have a long-term situation in Boston similar to that of Gregg Popovich in San Antonio, and up until two seasons ago Jerry Sloan in Utah.

“I had planned on Doc being our coach all along,” Ainge said. “We had discussions about him being a Gregg Popovich, a Jerry Sloan, a Red Auerbach, breaking Red Auerbach’s all-time wins record as a Celtic, and being here for a long time. I never thought about this day until (talking with Rivers on) May 8, and even then I didn’t really think it was going to happen until (Monday). We never were really close to a deal (with the Clippers), in spite of the reports.

“I don’t want to get too emotional. Doc is going to a great situation, a place that he chose, a place that he wants to be. It’s not a place that I chose for him to go, or a place I want him to be. But I wish him well. I’m also grateful for my relationship with him.”

Rivers recently shared a fear with Ainge. The coach believed his influence was slipping. Though Ainge denied that the oft-thorny relationship between Rivers and Rajon Rondo influenced the coach’s desire to leave, Ainge did acknowledge that Rivers was worried about his hold on players.

“Doc just felt a change would be good for our current players, that maybe a new voice would be better,” Ainge said. “He expressed that, yes. He felt like it was time for a change. He shared with me that he felt like we all needed a change. His rationalization or justification for going to the Clippers was that he just felt that was better for everybody. I don’t think there should be resentment. I know how Boston fans are, but I don’t feel like there should be any.”

Ainge also said he doesn’t believe Rivers quit on the cause.

“I don’t think Doc quit on this franchise,” he said. “He knows the pulse of players better than anyone and I think he believed a change was needed. Maybe he felt he needed a change. But Doc gave everything he could for nine years. One thing I’ve always appreciated about Doc was his stamina. He gets up and down like any coach does after wins and losses, but that sucker is there the next morning, watches the film three times and he’s ready to go again. He’s given us every ounce he’s had for the last nine years.”

And if Rivers was haunted by the prospect of another rebuilding phase — a return to the conditions that existed prior to the arrival of Kevin Garnett in the summer of 2007 — Ainge says he understands those apprehensions. But Ainge also made it clear that Rivers signed a five-year contract worth $35 million knowing that a major rebuild was in the works.

“When we signed Doc to the highest contract in the NBA (for a coach), we knew the ages of our players, and we knew there would be a phase, maybe last year, maybe this year, maybe next year, that the time for rebuild would be in store,” Ainge said. “At the time before it hit him I felt I did a good sales job on Doc at the time. Maybe he did a sales job on me. We knew this would be coming. It’s clear coaches are judged by wins and losses. It’s unfortunate, but some good coaches haven’t won, and some coaches who aren’t great have won. But we’re all based on the result.

“Doc’s also been in a rebuilding process and maybe it just hit him hard, those first few years in Boston. That was a real challenge. I’ve been geared up for the process and I’m ready. I don’t know if it will happen this summer or next summer. But we’ve been ready. GMs prepare for the now and the future, and coaches are trying to win that next quarter, game by game. I don’t hold any animosity toward Doc.”

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The highlight in red says it all.............Doc's method of coaching was not getting through..............


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