Jeremiah Rivers (Doc's son) goes OFF on Bill Simmons on Twitter

[LarBrd33]

Simmons is wrong.   It was a mutual decision between BOston and Doc.  Doc didn't want to babysit a bunch of tanking children.  Celtics didn't want to pay 8 million a year for a guy to babysit a bunch of tanking children.   Win/Win scenario.  Doc gets to coach best point guard alive... Boston gets unprotected 2015 first rounder and gets to hire a nobody on the cheap to babysit a bunch of tanking children.

Any other narrative is just based on media hype and misinformation.  The facts are in front of your face.

[rondoallaturca]

Simmons is wrong.   It was a mutual decision between BOston and Doc.  Doc didn't want to babysit a bunch of tanking children.  Celtics didn't want to pay 8 million a year for a guy to babysit a bunch of tanking children.   Win/Win scenario.  Doc gets to coach best point guard alive... Boston gets unprotected 2015 first rounder and gets to hire a nobody on the cheap to babysit a bunch of tanking children.

Any other narrative is just based on media hype and misinformation.  The facts are in front of your face.

So the comments by Doc that constantly flip-flop and contrast with the comments management makes is completely irrelevant?

[CoachCowens]

Simmons is wrong.   It was a mutual decision between BOston and Doc.  Doc didn't want to babysit a bunch of tanking children.  Celtics didn't want to pay 8 million a year for a guy to babysit a bunch of tanking children.   Win/Win scenario.  Doc gets to coach best point guard alive... Boston gets unprotected 2015 first rounder and gets to hire a nobody on the cheap to babysit a bunch of tanking children.

Any other narrative is just based on media hype and misinformation.  The facts are in front of your face.

The only facts I see are:

1. At some point KG and PP were going to be gone, either through retirement or trade and the C's needed to rebuild.

2. Doc signed a 5 year agreement knowing the first fact

2. Ainge indicated leading up to this month that he thought Doc would come back.

Your narrative is no more informed than anyone else.

[twistedrico14]

Simmons is wrong and he should keep his mouth shut and let it go...

[Smitty77]

I really am not a fan of Doc.  Certainly not during a rebuild.  My point is simply that he CLEARLY quit on us.  I am thrilled that we got out of the $21 million we owed him and got a first rounder!!

Smitty77

Wiley,

He signed a FIVE YEAR contract that STILL had THREE years left on it.  Doc COMMITTED to that 5-year deal to be OUR coach.  He QUIT!!! 

EVERYONE, including Doc and Jeremiah, etc. knew that KG and PP would not be playing for the C's for the duration of that contract.

Why did he sign and AGREE TO the five-year contract?  Your argument about this year falls apart quickly with ALL the information.

Smitty77

My question, Smitty....Is why would you want Rivers around for a rebuild anyway? 

I am no fan of Rivers...But after seeing his gross ineptitude and embarassing handling of the "rebuild" prior to Thibs, Garnett, and Allen....Especially the absolute defensive cluelessness.....

Rivers and Ainge did us a giant favor here....Rivers by leaving and Ainge by getting a first rounder.

[sed522002]

Simmons stated his opinion,BUT Doc didn't know anything about it until it was mentioned to him. They wanted that moment for tv and they got it.

[MBunge]

I'm sure there were a lot of different emotions and motivations at work in Doc's head and heart on this matter.  Doc seemed to have way more problems with the team this past season than since before KG arrived and I'm sure that part of him wondered if it wasn't just time to move on.  On the other hand, I'm sure Doc also felt some pull to come back and help KG and Paul ride into the sunset.  I mean, KG wouldn't okay any trade as long as Doc was still around and that probably meant Paul would have stayed with the team for at least the coming season as well.

But the bottom line is that when the Clippers expressed interest, Doc decided that he didn't want to deal with a rebuilding effort when he had that kind of an alternative.  That might be forgivable, but I can't stomach Doc trying to pretend that Ainge is the one who pushed him out when he was perfectly happy to stay.

Mike

[eighteen]

I think there were signals from the C's side of blowing it up and incredible pressure and temptation to join the Clips. In a way everyone is bringing truths to the table. The fact of the matter is he sealed his fate when he started talking with and entertaining the idea of taking the helm of the Clips. He changed his mind and is asked out of his agreement with the C's. Now he is getting his deserved punishment via criticism.

Unlike Ray Allen, as far as we know, they weren't trying to get rid of him at any point. So he made his choice in suffering some MILD CONSEQUENCES via media and fan criticism and now gets to walk out of the door everyday in perfect weather, take an even larger role as a leader in LA and coach a winning team for the foreseeable future.

I think Doc (and family) should just take the negativity as punishment for hurting is relationship in Boston. I'm sure all the kids including eventually Austin will either get opportunities in the LA area if not with the Clips org itself.

The criticism is such a small price to pay and most of us will forgive him at some point. He is a huge factor in winning in 08 as he is someone the stars enjoyed playing for, plain and simple.

[clover]

Simmons is wrong.   It was a mutual decision between BOston and Doc.  Doc didn't want to babysit a bunch of tanking children.  Celtics didn't want to pay 8 million a year for a guy to babysit a bunch of tanking children.   Win/Win scenario.  Doc gets to coach best point guard alive... Boston gets unprotected 2015 first rounder and gets to hire a nobody on the cheap to babysit a bunch of tanking children.

Any other narrative is just based on media hype and misinformation.  The facts are in front of your face.

I think it is pretty clear it was a mutual decision only after Doc played Hamlet for upwards of two months and heading into the draft, weeks after Doc told Danny he'd like to 'explore what his options are', and then finally Danny asked about the Clippers.  This was Doc's doing in a particularly petulant and passive-aggressive way and now he's trying to deny responsibility for it, which is of course ludicrous.

[timobusa]

Doc Quit.
Simple as that.

[sed522002]

My opinion is that, yeah, they came to a mutual agreement AFTER it became clear with Doc's silence (and not opening or reading a letter the organization sent him expecting him to stay) that he might not return. Then that's probably when Ainge began to explore other options for Doc

 The version he's giving in interviews now is that the C's wanted expiring contracts and picks and his contract just happened to be one of them. Like he was just a casualty of business.

“They wanted to unload contracts for draft picks,” Rivers said. “I happened to be one of those contracts. Clearly I had a selfish motive\e. I had a chance to not rebuild and go to a team that is in a different phase of our franchise. This [was] done together.”

He'll get criticism and then it will fade..as it should.