Boston Celtics’ coach Doc Rivers likely to stay
The Boston Celtics made it to two NBA Finals in the last three years, and won one championship. However their loss against the Miami Heat in the semi finals of the Eastern Conference has raised some fresh doubts over the ageing
squad.
Ever since the knockout loss, the future of their coach Doc Rivers has also been uncertain and that only added to the negative vibe surrounding the Celtics at the moment. However, Doc Rivers has now come out to put an end to the
speculation surrounding him. The Hall of Fame coach has announced that he will be staying with the Boston based franchise. Rivers said that a deal to keep him was “basically done”.
Rivers, who had an option to return for the next season on his contract, said he wanted to get this done quickly so he concentrate on the team and its future, “I wanted to get this out of the way so we can concentrate on the summer
and free agency.”
The 5-game loss to a Miami side comprising 3 of the best players around, especially the duo of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, would not ring alarm bells at most franchises. That is not the case when you are a Celt though. Boston
Celtics is not just a team, it is a legacy and that too the most successful one there has ever been. Losing is not an option for them.
The Celtics know that with the Wade-James-Bosh trio at the Heat, and a certain mister Derrick Rose leading a revolution in the Chicago Bulls, their label as the Big Boys of the East is under threat. Those teams will only get better
with time, and the Celtics’ own Big Three will only get older.
Therefore the team needs to change, grow and to evolve in order to stay competitive. And now it appears that team president Danny Ainge has decided that Rivers is the man to lead their transition. As such Rivers is expected to
sign a new multi-year contract soon.
Doc Rivers has wasted no time in drawing up a plan for the Celtics. He already has the blueprint in mind to get the Celtics back to where they belong.
“We have to surround (the Big Three) with talent,” he said. “Miami is only going to get better. Chicago is only going to get better. To help Kevin, Ray and Paul we just have to add talent. We relied in those three to carry the
load for years but we can’t do that as much anymore.”
His observation comes after seeing his side struggle down the stretch against Miami over and over again. Their only win in the series came on the back of a big performance from Kevin Garnett, when he scored 28 points and hauled
down 18 boards. However, it was plain to see that the aging stars of the Celtics couldn’t match the younger guns of the heat throughout the 48 minutes.
Doc Rivers thus intends to bring in new talent to compliment his aging stalwarts; the extent to which he will succeed is yet to be seen.
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