Attitude unacceptable: Doc Rivers’ finally loses his cool over the Boston Celtics’ struggles
As the regular season is approaching to its end, Boston Celtics seems to have lost the panache and the flair that had helped them to retain their reputation Eastern Conference elite once again this year.
In the post All-Star game era, the C’s have been struggling with poor execution in the defining moments of the play and have dropped five games in their last ten meetings. To add fuel to fodder, almost all of their recent chokes came against the least performing
teams.
Until recently, Doc Rivers, the Celtic’s coach had been relatively quite over his team’s tailspin but a fourth quarter collapse against Charlotte Bobcats on Friday proved to be the last straw for the Hall of Famer. At the crunch time, Celtics surrendered
a 16-0 run in the last eight minutes turning a done deal in a horrendous choke. Rivers was extremely disappointed with the demise and said.
"The way we're playing shocks me. Our attitude shocks me. We're just not ready to win any games right now the way we play, the way our approach is to basketball games. I told them that with about five minutes left. I said, 'If we win, great, you find your
own way.'
In order to motivate the team yet again, the legendary coach restrained himself from bursting at the players and told them the practice timings in the locker room. However, Rivers came up with his harshest words in the interview knowing the message will
be delivered to his troops without shooting at their faces.
"Right now I just think we've become very, very selfish. Not as far as trying to get our own, but everything is about how we're playing individually instead of how the team is playing. You can see it; a guy struggles, he pouts, he moans. Everything is 'me,
me, me' on our team right now.” Rivers said.
Boston’s poor stretch has resulted in them being overthrown by the rampaging Chicago Bulls from the pole position in the East.
Rivers further said that not me or any coach can infuse the motivation in the team at this point of time. Sometimes the guys have to find a way themselves. They have to show honesty and work as a team or else they should be prepared to face the same results.
The coach is not completely leaving it on the team; in fact he is trying to figure out why he is failing to get the maximum out of his men. With that said he also showed his utmost discouragement as he's been during the Big Three era.
Boston Celtics shares an immense talent with the finest players of the season. They need alter their line of attack as the veteran coach is still determined to clinch the NBA title despite of all the frustration. Rivers beliefs he has the kind of aptitude
in the locker room that is required to win the title. The team only needs to take a step forward to end their misery and regain their momentum to dominate in the playoffs.
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