Doc Rivers is elite, but Glaring Blunders Have Been Costly to Celtics!

Doc Rivers is an elite NBA head coach, 

but his mistakes are costing the Boston Celtics right now.

Having won one NBA title back in 2008 and nearly two others during the last five years, there is now, no doubt that Boston Celtics respected head coach Glen ‘Doc’ Rivers is as elite as any head coach in the game today.

However, Rivers certainly isn’t perfect and to be honest about it, has actually committed a series of glaring blunders that have hurt the Celtics more than most casual observers may realize.

This review of Rivers’ missteps will inform NBA fans and Celtics diehard followers how even a widely respected NBA head coach can make more than his fair share of mistakes.

Back in the Day: The Kendrick Perkins Trade

I know that Doc Rivers is just the head coach and that GM Danny Ainge is the man actually responsible for pulling the trigger on this franchise-altering trade, but I genuinely believe that if Rivers had vehemently vetoed this transaction, then it would have never happened. The bottom line is that the Celtics haven’t been the same team since ‘back in the day’ before Kendrick Perkins was jettisoned to Oklahoma City, causing the team to lose its once unrivaled defensive mindset and toughness within the interior defense.

He’s No Bill Bradley: Avery Bradley over Ray Allen

Avery Bradley is a fine young player that plays absolutely outstanding perimeter defense, almost ensuring that he’ll have an NBA job for years to come. However, he’s certainly no Bill Bradley, if you’re old enough to remember the New York Knicks Hall of Fame guard and that in itself is quite a statement seeing as how Bradley only averaged 12.4 points per game for his career

Still, Doc Rivers was wrong to give Bradley the starting nod late last season after the Hall of Fame-bound Ray Allen went down for a short stretch with an injury and now the move is backfiring on the Celtics as they look towards the near future.

Once a terrific high school scorer, Bradley has shown himself to be nothing more than mediocre offensively at the NBA level, choosing to focus first and foremost on defense. While that’s fine and admirable, the lack of offense from the shooting guard spot has left Boston at a major offensive disadvantage against elite opponents, particularly when the Celtics’ other top offensive options are all getting a bit long in the tooth. Putting Bradley in Allen’s spot a year ago was one of the moves that made Allen feel unwanted and this costly mistake by Rivers is hurting his offensively-challenged ballclub right now.

Petulant Over Professional: Rajon Rondo over Ray Allen

How Rivers – and Ainge for that matter – could ever choose petulant point guard Rajon Rondo over classy veteran professional Ray Allen is beyond me, but this is another costly blunder that Rivers allowed and one that should have never occurred in my estimation.

The enigmatic Rondo has never been able to shoot the ball consistently from the perimeter, not even from as close as 15-feet away and that flaw in the fleet-footed point guard’s arsenal has been a detriment to Boston’s offense that many seem to have overlooked. While Rondo is undoubtedly an excellent defender and passer, many NBA analysts (me included) believe almost any point guard with a heartbeat could consistently average double digits in assists playing alongside three future Hall of Famers as Rondo once did.

Another problem with making Rondo the unquestioned leader of the team moving forward is the fact that he’s still lacing in the maturity department. Rondo was set to assume the mantle of team leadership from aging stars Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce this season, but prior to tearing his ACL, he showed almost as many flashes of the same petulant me-first attitude as he had in previous seasons.

Putting the ball in Rondo’s hands too much this season also turned the Celtics into an even more stagnant offensive ballclub than they previously had been, with most of the mercurial floor leader’s teammates standing around waiting for him to make a play.

This former notion has now become more of a concrete fact since Rondo went down with his season-ending ACL tear. The Celtics now move the ball more fluidly and willingly than they had all season and the team’s other players like Courtney Lee and Jason Terry, among others, seem to have benefited nicely from the team’s now more cohesive offense.

By basically choosing Rajon Rondo over Ray Allen, Doc Rivers lost not only his best perimeter shooter, but arguably the greatest three-point shooter of all-time and that has to hurt no matter how you look at it. Combine that with the fact that Allen was also one of the teams’ best locker room leaders (mostly by example) and Rondo, the teams’ new ‘leader,’ a mostly immature youngster and it’s easy to see how this move has hurt the Celtics as they move forward into what now looks like a murky postseason awaiting.

Bygone Big Bodies: Ryan Hollins and Greg Stiemsma

Go ahead and laugh all you want. I know Ryan Hollins is a journeyman big man that hasn’t been able to stay on one team for very long and that rookie Greg Stiemsma bolted for the greener financial pastures the Minnesota Timberwolves offered him, but the loss of these two unheralded big men has hurt the C’s in a big way if you ask me and Rivers is partially to blame.

The Celtics don’t have nearly the competent big men they had when they were contending for NBA titles, not just Eastern Conference championships. Now, outside of Kevin Garnett, who has never been what anyone would call an ‘interior’ player, Boston is nearly bereft of big men that can come in off the bench and make a consistent positive contribution while grabbing a few offensive rebounds, but hey that’s a story for a different day. The bottom line is that Rivers should have found a way to keep Hollins on the cheap while giving a bit more money to Stiemsma, like maybe some of the money they overpaid for Jeff Green.

Jeff Green

Speaking of Jeff Green, Boston really overpaid this likable guy by giving him a whopping $36 million over four years. Still, that’s not what is getting him mentioned in this column.

No, it’s the fact that Doc Rivers found little use for him during the early going this season when clearly, he should have been a more featured part of Boston’s offense. Green is as versatile as any forward in the game today and needs to be on the floor…now.

I mean, it’s not everyday a guy scores 43 points on LeBron James and the Miami Heat. Green is averaging 21.5 points in games he has started this season. For Rivers to wait so long in the season to really give Green some burn is a mistake of epic proportions and one that likely cost the Celtics a couple of wins this season.

He’s No Speedy Gonzalez: Pitiful Pace of Play

Another area I believe that Rivers has made errors in is with his style of offense, which, to put it mildly, is akin to watching paint dry. The Celtics continually play a half court style that limits their ability to get easy baskets in transition. Combine this with the fact that the Celtics are an absolutely abysmal offensive (and defensive) rebounding team and now, not nearly the defensive ballclub they once were and it’s easy to see how they lose games because of the pace of play Rivers likes to play at.

Gotta’ Have My Pops: Doc’s No Gregg Popovich

Two things I love about San Antonio Spurs head coach is his ability to make his style of play fit his personnel and the ability to incorporate young players into the team from the moment they’re either drafted or acquired.

While today’s Spurs are still centered around their terrific trio of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, anyone that knows a thing about basketball knows this perennial title contender plays nothing like they did, let’s say, five years ago.

The Spurs were once a defense-first team that played at a fairly slow pace offensively with the offense running through Tim Duncan. Now, that the Spurs’ trio is getting up there in age, head coach Gregg Popovich has altered his style of play accordingly. San Antonio now plays at a faster pace and run their offense through Parker first and foremost. Popovich has also done an absolutely masterful job of resting his veteran stars when they need it while seamlessly incorporating young contributors like Gary Neal, Tiago Splitter, Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green.

Rivers would do well to take a page out of Pop’s venerable coaching manual and start giving more meaningful minutes to his younger bench players, starting first and foremost with Terrence Williams and Jordan Crawford.

With Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce really nearing the end of the line, the Celtics are in the midst of a huge transition even if they don’t admit it and Doc Rivers had better start making more adjustments in his coaching style and roster management than we’ve seen recently.

If the Celtics respected leader doesn’t, then the NBA’s most storied franchise could be headed back to their ‘pre-Big Three’ days early this millennium when wins were so hard to come by that just competing for a postseason berth meant a good season.

I see the light, I see the light! Eating crow on Rajon Rondo!

Rajon Rondo's seriously consistent 

play has made a believer out of me. 

I stand corrected - Rondo is now,

undoubtedly, elite!

It was approximately just one month ago when I continued my career-long bashing of Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo by saying the Boston Celtics should trade their often enigmatic, split-personality floor leader in the hopes of rebuilding a team that is aging faster than Methuselah himself.

However, as I always say, I have to ‘keep it real’ at all times – even when it means eating some humble pie – like I’m about to right now.

Let me begin by saying that I was wrong about Rondo – and can now clearly see that the still-offensively limited point guard – is indeed, elite – even if he doesn’t score the ball the way some of the league’s other ‘elite’ floor leaders do.

Unlike many of today’s shoot-first point guard, Rondo prefers to get his teammates involved first – and that fact has had serious advantages for the Celtics – and Rondo’s mostly veteran teammates.

Rondo’s ability to find an open man and get him the ball in rhythm – is unsurpassed by any point guard in the league right now – and when you combine his often jaw-dropping passing ability with his outstanding on-ball defense and unmatched rebounding – you get an elite point guard.

Better yet for the Celtics is the fact that Rondo appears to have worked really hard on improving his glaring weakness – his inability to connect from the perimeter from beyond approximately 15 feet. Recently, Rondo has displayed a surprising ability to take – and make – several jumpers that have been in the 20-foot-plus range – and that should be a scary thought to point guards around the league.

Boston baked beans …C’s are scorching!

Kevin Garnett has turned
back the hands of time!

If you’re a Boston Celtics fan (like I am) then you’ve got to be one happy camper these days Eye On Sports hoops heads! The red-hot C’s have won four straight heading and a blistering nine of its last 11 games overall heading into Thursday night while looking like a completely different team than the inconsistent one that played struggled at both ends of the floor earlier this season.

Rajon Rondo is dishing
the rock like never before!

Since I last took to the keyboard, the Celtics have moved Kevin Garnett to center, Avery Bradley into the starting lineup – and most recently, Ray Allen to the bench. Garnett and Rondo in particular, have both raised the level of their play significantly and now, I’m’ thinking the Celtics could be big trouble for every team in the Eastern Conference playoffs, including Miami and Chicago.

Stay tuned Eye On Sports NBA hardwood lovers as the Celtics gear up for one more run at an NBA title!

Rondo’s not Elite!

The holes in Rajon Rondo's game 

keep him from being truly elite!

Maybe it’s me Eye On Sports basketball fans, but I just don’t think Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo is as elite as a lot of basketball prognosticators. Rondo’s past two games are perfect examples of why Rondo’s lack of scoring ability will always keep him from being mentioned in the same breath as elite floor leaders like Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, Deron Williams or Russell Westbrook.

In Boston’s 120-95 loss to Sacramento on Friday, Boston’s defensive-minded point guard dished out a dozen assists, but scored a pitiful four points on 2 of 9 shooting from the field in 33 minutes of action.

One day later, Rondo had a better game as he dished out a whopping 16 assists in an 89-81 loss to Denver while scoring 12 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the field. Still, in four of his last five games, Rondo has scored a dozen points or less.

To make matters even worse, Rondo was clearly outplayed by Sacramento rookie guard Isaiah Thomas in Friday’s loss to the Kings as the fleet-footed Thomas scored 13 points and dished out 10 assists in 33 minutes against the C’s for his second double-double of the season. Hell, Thomas has averaged 16.3 points over his last five games, a figure Rondo will always have a hard time reaching.

Rondo’s lack of ability to shoot the ball from beyond 12 feet is a serious hindrance to the Celtics, especially with Boston’s Big Three not being able to score the ball nearly as efficiently as they once did in seasons past.

Maybe it’s me, but no, I don’t think Rajon Rondo is not an elite NBA point guard, mostly because he can’t hit the broad side of a barn – or the floor with his proverbial hat.

Um, about that trade Boston!

The Boston Celtics are 

mediocre.

The Boston Celtics were rumored to be involved in talks to move one or more of their ‘Big Three’ just prior to last Thursday’s NBA trade deadline, but the C’s stood pat and didn’t blow up their roster in hopes of making one final championship run in this truncated NBA season.  Now, after seeing the C’s get absolutely crushed 120-95 by the lowly Sacramento Kings on Friday – and smacked down solidly in Saturday’s 98-91 road loss to Denver – and I’ve got to believe the C’s are no threat to do much of anything in the postseason – if they get there.  At an uninspiring 23-21, Boston is currently in seventh place in the Eastern Conference playoff race, just 2.5 games ahead of resurgent New York.

A Quartet of reasons why the Boston Celtics should trade Rajon Rondo

Sometimes Rajon Rondo plays
like a superstar ... while other times
... he looks like a different player.

Before I get started explaining why I believe the Boston Celtics should part ways with often-inconsistent point guard Rajon Rondo, let me just say that I already suspect that I am going to piss off a lot of Boston Celtics fans with this short op-ed on column.

Having said that, as I always say, ‘It’s better to be pissed off than pissed on’ so get over it hard core C’s fans. Besides, if you really think about the points I’m going to make in this article, then you’ll know I’m right about Boston moving its most attractive trade piece.

Okay NBA roundball lovers, with that said let me get started with this fun-filled, yet, eye-opening look at why the storied Boston Celtics should trade Rondo.

Dude Can’t Shoot a Lick!

I know Rondo is averaging a career-high 18.8 points per game this season, but the fact of the matter is that the pass-first floor leader has never averaged more than the 13.7 points per game he did during the 2009-10 campaign.

While Rondo would appear to be a very good shooter with a career mark or 48.7 percent from the field and two full seasons of shooting at least 50 percent, those numbers are mostly due to the fact that Rondo takes a lot of drives to the basket and not much else.

Basically, Rondo’s inability to consistently make jump shots from as close as 15 feet, hinders the Celtics and their offense in a big way as team can mostly play five on four when the C’s are on offense, much like Miami did in ousting Boston in last season’s playoffs.

Rondo Has an On-Court ‘Split Personality’

One game Rondo looks like a blossoming superstar and the next he looks like a nervous rookie scared to shoot the rock from 10 feet away, even when he’s wide open. Until I see otherwise, Rondo’s offensive inconsistencies will remain one of the driving reasons I am calling for the Celtics to move Rondo now rather than later on.

Not A Leader!

Not only does Rajon Rondo have some serious holes in his game, but he is also not much of a true leader if you listen to those that know him fairly intimately. Rondo has butted heads with respected head coach Doc Rivers on numerous  occasions, not to mention having his fair share of issues with some of Boston’s Big Three and other veteran players over the course of his young, five-year, NBA career.

Time To Rebuild

Clearly now, it’s time for the aging Boston Celtics to take some emphatic steps to rebuild their roster with the team’s Big Three (okay not Ray Allen) aging faster than a bottle of cheap wine. By moving Rondo now, the Celtics could work a package where they could receive two or three capable players, picks or a combination of the two. The C’s could take a chance on a young player or pursue a veteran free agent floor leader that’s still somewhere in his prime or close to it. Boston needs quite a few players to kick off its rebuilding phase and moving Rondo for multiple players or picks would be a great start.

To make a long story short, I’m not sure Rajon Rondo would be nearly as good as he is with the Celtics were he playing with another franchise and I believe the Celtics would be better off right now trading away their young floor leader and trying to acquire multiple players or picks that could potentially help the Celtics chase their championship dreams over the next few seasons.

Greg Popovich ... the poker player!

San Antonio Spurs head coach
Greg Popovich knows his veterans
need rest in the truncated 2011-12 NBA regular season.

While Boston’s Doc Rivers clearly hasn’tlearned to trust his younger players – or save his veterans’ legs – San Antonio Spurs’ head coach Gregg Popovich – uses the perfect set of rotations between his older and younger players.

Case in point, ‘Pop’ rested star players Tim Duncan and Tony Parker in his team's 137-97 blowout loss Tuesday night at Portland, not that they cared one iota about the final score.

The main thing on Pop’s mind is apparently resting his best players in anticipation of the long haul and stretch run of the NBA regular season.

"Every team is going to do this at some point with this season," Popovich said. "Tonight was our night."

Maybe it’s me, but I think Pop’s plan for the Spurs was pure genius. Not only does it give the veterans the rest they so dearly need, but it also allows his younger players to gain valuable experience should they become a more integral component for the team late in the regular season or playoffs. 

Where's Doc? Celtics in need of a doctor!

Eye On Sports says Boston Celtics head coach
Doc Rivers isn't doing a very good job this season.

The aging Boston Celtics are on life support as they head into the annual all-star break with their collective heads spinning from a trio of emphatic losses to Detroit, Dallas and Oklahoma City – and now, they need a doctor in the worst way … as in Doc Rivers.

Despite being regarded as one of the best head coaches in the game today, I think Rivers has actually done a poor job this season in failing to recognize – and adjust to a couple of very important facts this season.

Celtics' second-year
point guard Avery Bradley.

First and foremost, Rivers should now clearly be able to see that the team’s aging core trio or Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are playing at a much slower pace now – and simply can’t keep up with their younger counterparts. Making matters even worse is the fact that the veterans are being pushed to their physical limits because of the truncated regular season.

Instead of taking a cue from Western Conference counter[art Gregg Popovich and playing his younger players a lot more, Rivers continues to ride the same aging veterans, even on the second night of back-to-back games.

Celtics' rookie center
Greg Stiemsma grabs rebound.

Instead of playing young players like Greg Stiemsma, Avery Bradley, JuJuan Johnson and E’Twuan Moore, Rivers plays his young players far too sparingly – while leaning on his veterans far too much at this point.

Playing his younger players would also serve a twofold purpose for Rivers and the Celtics as Bradley and his reserve teammates would gain invaluable experience while also saving the Big Three’s tired legs for the stretch run portion of the regular season.

Jajuan Johnson (L), E'Twuan More (R).

I know not many people will call Doc Rovers to task for his recent failures as the Celtics’ head coach, but I will! I always say that I call it like I see it … and from where I’m sitting, Doc Rivers has failed to help his team over the first half of the season – and I’m going on record right now to say that if Rivers doesn't start playing his younger players immediately, Boston could be on the outside looking in come playoff time!