Why do you think the Mavs, Suns, Spurs, Pistons, etc. have been consistently great for the last few years? Most people automatically would say “um, dumbass, because they have players like Dirk, Nash, Timmy, Billups, etc." But I say it’s because of continuity and defined roles. If you look at each team, all four have essentially the same nucleus they had three years ago (with the Stones losing Ben Wallace and not really giving a shit in the process).
Also, Greg Popovich, Mike D’Antoni, Avery Johnson, and even Flip Saunders (yup, even Uncle Flippy) have the common sense to know that putting players in defined roles and getting their top eight 20 minutes a night helps manage their expectations and egos. By getting guys like Barbosa, Stackhouse, and McDyess consistent minutes each night, each coach can rely on a starter-level caliber player coming off the bench, and the player will not worry they aren’t going see their run during the game.
Take the Spurs for example: Manu Ginobli is obviously one of the most talented players on his own team (certainly better than Brent Barry), but he is a sixth man because Pop knows that the Spurs need that offensive spark coming off the bench. With his slashing style, he is so much more effective with fresh legs coming in at the 7-8 minute mark of the 1st Quarter. The same thing can be said for Bruce Bowen and Michael Finley. Bowen is nowhere near the same defensive force he was a few years ago, and Finley adds more on the offensive end to a great team defense squad that needs a scorer more than a defensive stopper that has lost a step. Despite the superb depth, and only one ball on a team that goes legitimately eight deep, you never hear a grumble from anyone on the Spurs roster about PT because all the aforementioned get 20 plus minutes a night to help complement Timmy and Tony Parker. And because of this, they consistently win games. Wow…so you mean if a coach can manage his players, get his talented guys on the floor 20 minutes a night in defined roles, the players will be happy? Welcome to the world of common sense.
This is why when I read the Boston Herald story that sources close to the Celtics are reporting that Doc Rivers will get a multi-year extension, I felt inclined to hit myself over the head with a scolding frying pan. Alternatively, I felt like Simon Cowell listening to Sanjaya.
I am sure most fans look at the Celtics this year and presume Doc Rivers should be fired because the C’s have the worst record in the East and second worst overall. I’m actually OK with this (as much as a sports fan can be OK with his favorite team sucking worse than A-Rod in October). The Celtics were ravaged by injuries this year to their top SIX scorers:
(1) Paul Pierce – 29 games (their record without him…3-26!!);
(2) Al Jefferson – 10 games (and never mind the time at the beginning of the season recouping from an appendectomy);
(3) Wally Szczberiak – 44 games (and he could barely get through the starting lineup introductions without spraining his ankles);
(4) Ryan Gomes – 9 games (I love Gomes…as a seventh man, glue/energy guy off the bench – not a starter for 54 games);
(5) Delonte West – 10 games (with many more at half strength due to ankle injuries, concussions and (yup) a staph infection); and
(6) Tony Allen – 33 games (and a winner of a
Any coach would struggle dealing with these injuries. That’s not the reason why I nearly collapsed when I saw the C’s giving Doc an extension.
Even if the C’s were healthy all year, Doc Rivers would have killed them. I have no doubt about this and will take on all comers to the contrary. I don’t have any statistics to back this up (will work on it), but there is no chance that the Celtics did not lead the league in different starting lineups during the course of the year. Rivers did his best to prevent any continuity whatsoever for the young C’s by playing young guys 25 minutes one game, 6 the next (see Green, Gerald). I understand the desire to teach young players by giving them “tough love” when they fail to box out (which the Celtics don’t), play defense (which the Celtics don’t) or make costly turnovers (which the Celtics make plenty). But by employing this strategy, it prevents players from getting in defined roles.
Once Pierce went down with an injury this year, and C’s basically went 0 for January, Rivers needed to start looking toward next year. What should Doc have done:
(1) Start playing Rajon Rondo 30 minutes a night – let him learn from his mistakes and grow as your PG of the future. What’s the worst that happens? The C’s still lose games and realize that Rondo is not the guy to be your starting PG. Best case scenario? He gets his sea legs, and develops into that 10 points, 12 assist, 2 turnover guy the C’s saw in the summer league.
(2) Give Gerald Green a chance to change those flashes of brilliance (on the offensive end) that appear once every 8 games to more consistent production, and actually learn the fundamentals of a defensive slide. Bill Simmons said it right when he classified Green as the worst player getting 15 minutes a night in the league – but I put some of the blame on Doc for toying with the kid’s minutes. He is a legit 6’9’’ with a buttery jumper and someone said he might be able to dunk. True, he couldn’t guard Jerry West if West threw on a pair of Chuck Taylor’s right now. But he has the length (I’ll never stop finding that expression funny) and athleticism to be a good wing defender. Let him take his licks and improve in games….guarding Brian Scalabrine in practice is not going to make him a great wing defender. Speaking of Scalabrine…
(3) Stop playing him 20 minutes a night! The guy gets a raw deal from the
But Doc will never waver. He has a team of young, impressionable players that seemingly like playing for him….at least publicly. But I am sure that if you put a coach in there that could provide some structure to the C’s – a defined rotation of eight guys that know every night they are getting their run – the C’s would see more W’s, which brings more smiles.
The Celtics do not lack talent. A consistent starting five of Rondo, West, Pierce,
I’ll tell Danny Ainge how to fix the C’s later this week as the season comes to a close. Happy Birthday Hugh Hefner.
