Depressed Celtics fans across the world had their spirits lifted today with the news that Doc Rivers will continue coaching this team for the next 5 years. This news is great on many levels. Doc is a top tier coach in this league, so getting a commitment from him would be huge even if he didn't have any history with the franchise. The fact that he does have the history here, and that this extension is so lengthy, provides stability that will serve this team well as it transitions out of the Big Three era after next season.
The Rivers extension will also go a long way in helping the Celtics assemble a good group of talent to join their four stars next season. Danny Ainge has been doing a lot of interviews over the past two days, and he's made it clear that he believes this core can win another title if he surrounds them with the right guys. That's going to prove more difficult than ever this off season. The market for role players willing to take less money for a title shot, previously dominated almost exclusively by the Celtics and Lakers, has now grown much more competitive. Based on talent level, guys looking to play alongside superstars might certainly favor destinations like Miami or New York over Boston. However, players love Doc. If you don't believe me, check out this excerpt from Ken Berger's piece about game 5 (via the Basketball Jones):
"I love you," Rivers told Wade, who he's known since the Heat star -- and fellow Marquette Golden Eagle -- was in high school. He said it to James, too, and they hugged in the middle of the chaos that comes when a champion is knocked off and a stubborn obstacle is overcome.
"I love you," James said to Rivers in that moment. "I'm amazed how you got those guys -- you could see they were struggling, and you got them to still play. I don't know how you do that."
Obviously, this is an example taken from an extremely emotional circumstance. But, it's no secret that guys around the league really respect Doc. Having the chance to play for him will no doubt be attractive to free agents looking to make a splash with a contender, and guys may want to sign long term if they know he's in for the long haul.
Finally, I can't help but wonder if this extension is significant news because it means that the Celtics have another big move on the horizon. I don't want to speculate what that move might be, because I've heard nothing. But, something about this situation seems off.
It's been well established since 2008 that Doc is a year-to-year guy. A family man. A Floridian working in Massachusetts. I didn't think he'd be back this year. The only reason I expected him back in 2009-2010 was that I didn't think he'd be satisfied going out as the Celtics did (anti-climatically, in the second round because of KG's injury). His future was always uncertain, and this year certainly felt to me like a "bonus year", because as I said I was expecting him to be gone.
After game 5 ended Wednesday night, Doc stated that he'd probably be returning. He said that he loves this group, and that he doesn't think they're done. So, I expected him to resign for another year. Certainly, it didn't seem realistic to hope for any more than that. None of us ever expected, nor had any reason to expect, that he'd stick around longer than the Big Three. This is a guy who could virtually pick any job he wanted if left the Celtics, be it in coaching or in television.
So, would he stick around for rebuilding? It seems unlikely. He's always said that he loves working for Danny Ainge and he loves the Celtics organization. I'd love to believe that his Celtic Pride is enough to keep him around, but I'm not so naive. This group currently has 31 million dollars of expiring contracts between Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen alone (I'm assuming Pierce is untouchable). Furthermore, the only two players they have locked in for 2012-2013 are Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce. Could Danny and Doc be planning to reload instead of rebuild?
For the record, I'm not advocating that they move Garnett and Allen. And, I don't even know if that's what Doc would want. He's stated time and time again how much he loves coaching those guys. But, when someone changes their behavior so drastically, we have to wonder what else has changed that we don't yet know about.
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