Boston Celtics: 5 Reasons Why Doc Rivers Wants Out of Boston
Doc Rivers: 5 Reasons Why He Wants Out of Boston
Doc Rivers and the Boston Celtics have been rumored to be parting ways for the better part of the last week or so. This is an unprecedented scenario in the NBA in which a coach is in essence part of a player transaction, the Celtics would send Rivers and Kevin Garnett to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Celtics want to be compensated with two first-round draft picks from the Clippers for letting Rivers out of the final three years and over $21 million left on his contract.
These trade talks have stalled several times over the last week but seem to be renewed pretty quickly. The deal seems to hinge on the Clippers willingness to include a couple of different young, talented players in the trade including Eric Bledsoe whom they would like to include in a separate trade.
The most intriguing part of these rumors has centered on the exodus of Rivers who has been the coach in Boston for nine seasons. In that time, he has taken the Celts to two NBA Finals and one title. However, it has been since 2009-2010 that the Celtics last competed for basketball's ultimate prize. The fact that these rumors have not gone away and that talks continue between the Celtics and Clippers is a clear indication that Doc is no longer happy coaching in Boston.
Here are five reasons I believe that Doc wants to leave the Boston bench and spend his coaching future elsewhere.
Peter Sherwill is a Denver Nuggets writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeterSherwill or add him to your network on Google
Lack of Young Talent
Ever since the Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen joined forces in Boston, the Celtics have been a perennial playoff team. Due to this success, there is a lack of solid, young talent waiting to step into a starring role. This could play a huge role in Doc's exit as he does not want to be in a losing situation again.
Aging Roster
Garnett is 37 and Pierce will be 36 by the time the 2013-14 NBA season starts. Key reserve Jason Terry will be 36 by the next time the Celts tipoff. This does not give Doc a great chance to win especially given Boston's cap situation, which would prove difficult to lure a young superstar to the Celtics.
Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo has proven to be difficult to deal with in the past and due to this has been subject to trade rumors the last few seasons. Perhaps Rivers is finally fed up with his attitude and ready for a new situation.
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat are in their third straight NBA Finals this year. This Big Three does not appear to be going away anytime soon. LeBron James is sure to dominate the Eastern Conference for years to come. Doc understands this and wants no part in trying to take LeBron down unless it is on the NBA's biggest stage — The Finals.
Chris Paul and Blake Griffin
The most important reason that Doc Rivers wants out of Boston is to have the opportunity to coach Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. The Los Angeles Clippers are primed to contend for a championship with the right coach at the helm and Rivers is the man that can get the job done. The Clippers roster is stacked with the right mix of veteran players as well as young, athletic players. Doc wants to coach a team that is contending for championships, not rebuilding. What better situation could he possibly ask for than CP3 and Griffin?
