Pierce believes choice of Rivers was fitting
Pierce believes choice of Rivers was fitting
By Shira Springer, Globe Staff | May 22, 2004
After a season filled with change, Paul Pierce has decided
to make a few moves of his own this summer. He plans to buy
a house in the Las Vegas area and take up golf. With a little
time on the links, Pierce figures he can beat former teammate
Antoine Walker. Pierce knows it will be a while before he can
compete with new Celtics coach Doc Rivers, though that won't
stop the All-Star swingman from visiting Rivers in Orlando,
Fla., where championship courses abound.
Pierce believes Rivers is the right man for the job, and he
wants coach and captain communicating well when next season
begins. When reached by telephone yesterday in Los Angeles,
Pierce talked at length about Rivers, the departure of former
coach Jim O'Brien, the brief tenure of John Carroll, a trying
season, and the possibility of playing in the Olympics.
"Doc's cool," said Pierce. "He'll be a good fit for the team.
I can't say he's the perfect guy because I really don't know
him, but playing against his [Orlando team] and knowing his
style, he seems like a good fit. The way he coached in Orlando
is kind of what we're envisioning over here. We'd like to get
up and down the court, score 100 points a game. That's what
[executive director of basketball operations] Danny [Ainge]
and Doc are trying to do here. That's why I think he's the
best guy for the job. And we'll see if he can deal with Ricky
[Davis]."
Given the experience Rivers brings as a former All-Star player
and former Coach of the Year, Pierce anticipates Rivers will
earn the Celtics' respect with relative ease.
"Doc has been a player in this league," said Pierce. "He
understands the player. He's been through the NBA grind as a
player and a coach. So, he's going to command a little more
respect. He has a resume. That all helps. Ricky shouted out
[in the locker room] after the last playoff game, `Bring in
Doc Rivers.' He just shouted it out. He already respected the
guy, and he didn't even know Doc Rivers."
It all sounds a lot more promising than comments made when Ainge
met with the players hours after O'Brien resigned. During that
meeting, Ainge asked how the players would feel with Carroll
serving as interim coach.
"[Danny] was asking what we thought of John Carroll," said
Pierce. "A lot of people didn't know John Carroll. He was
sort of quiet in practice. It was hard, if he was going to
take over, to have that respect because he wasn't a guy who
commanded a lot of respect in practice. It was different with
[O'Brien]. When he was with [Rick] Pitino, [O'Brien] commanded
a lot of respect even though he wasn't the head coach. That's
why it was easier for [O'Brien] to come in and turn everything
around.
Me, Walter [McCarty], and Mark [Blount] didn't know anything but
general-type coaches. We'd played for demanding coaches. Pitino
and [O'Brien] were really intense, authoritative coaches that
commanded respect. In this situation, John Carroll just wasn't
going to command that respect, especially with a young team."
While Rivers appears easygoing, behind closed doors he can be a
tough, demanding coach with a talent for motivating players.
Pierce could have used such a motivator after O'Brien resigned
Jan. 27.
"After O'Brien left, there was a two-week period where I lost a
lot of motivation," said Pierce. "I was struggling, wondering,
`Where do I find the motivation to come to practice every day
and help this team win being in the position I'm in as a captain
and leader?' It tested me like I'd never been tested before. I was
just happy to get through it."
When the postseason ended, Pierce said he felt more relief than
disappointment at being swept by Indiana in the first round.
"It was a sigh of relief, man," said Pierce. "I was happy just
to make the playoffs, not even knowing what we were going to do.
That was sort of like my reward for us going through this year,
people saying what they said about me and people saying what they
said about Danny, about the whole team. People didn't even think
we'd win five more games the rest of the season after [O'Brien]
left. For us to make the playoffs, it was gratifying for me,
regardless of the outcome."
For the record, Pierce said he never wanted to be traded. He
plans to stick with the Celtics through tough times, as long as
the powers that be want him in Boston.
All Rivers expects of Pierce come training camp is that he show
up in the best condition. Pierce will spend much of his time
working out in Los Angeles, though he may join Walker briefly
in Chicago for sessions with Michael Jordan's trainer, Tim Grover.
Don't expect to find Pierce polishing his game in Athens at the
Olympics, though NBA stars are dropping out of the Games on an
almost daily basis. At this time, Pierce probably would not accept
an invitation.
"A few years ago, I gave my heart, I gave my summer to the USA team
[that finished sixth at the world championships in Indianapolis],
and I feel like they slapped me in the face," said Pierce. "That's
just the way I feel. Guys are calling and turning them down. And I
have to call them to tell them I'd want to be on [the team]. It's
not making enough sense to me. I put calls in to get on [the team
that went to the qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico]. I made four
or five calls to see if I could make the team, to see if there was
something I could do. My phone calls didn't even get returned back
to the point where they said, `No, that's OK.' It would be an honor
[to be invited to Athens], but I'm not going to stress over it."
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