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no and no.
is he close to the level of Pop as a coach? Are Garnett, Pierce and Allen better than Timmy, Tony and Manu in their prime? I can remember a while back (before the Duncan pick) when people were calling for Pop to be fired and Doc to take his place - funny how things run full circle.
no and no.
no way
No, and just for the record, orlando will bukakke their way to the finals in 5
Supposedly pop was almost fired for doc rivers.
Players win games, coaches lose them..
That was the buzz in the Alamodome on a February afternoon in 1999, when the Spurs got curbstomped by the Jazz and were 6-8.
I remember that situation. What a depressing one it was but that happened ot be the low point of the season. Happily the team gelled and went on to heir first ring.
I was at the Spurs-Rockets game in Houston the following game...the birth of the championship-caliber Spurs
If only.
I'd take Doc Rivers in a heartbeat over Gregg Popovich. I figured for sure Boston's big 3 would be the most run-down (if not outright injured) by the end of the year, (due to their combined age and mileage which far outpaces the spurs' big 3) and that San Antonio would for sure get furthur in the playoffs than the celts. I'm sad to say I was dead wrong.
Rivers has done a masterful job over in Boston. After some initial injuries to Pierce and Garnett, he got his team through some tough times and his big 3 to the playoffs at full strength. His gameplan stresses defense, and he squeezed everything he could out of those veterans without overstressing them. The key here is Rivers doesn't around with doofuses like Bonner or Scalabrine. He understands the negatives of having dinks like Scalabrine out there and the added stress it causes the other big man out on the court playing alongside.
Put Rivers on the spurs this year and you would rarely see Matt Bonner on the court after February. For sure he would have played / developed Ian Mahinmi. Look at how much production Rivers got out of Shelden Williams this year...... he would have done the same for Mahinmi.
I have no doubt the spurs would be gearing up to battle the lakers right now if Rivers was at the helm.
Another thing.
Doc Rivers being a former point guard himself, he has surely helped tutor/develop Rondo into a proper point guard and all around awesome player he has become.
Popovich? Not so much. Parker never developed a well rounded point guard game, and George Hill is probably doomed to the same fate.
Doc Rivers has always been wildly underrated. He did an amazing job with Orlando, did great developing players in the rebuilding Celtics and has outcoached prettty much everyone since we got the Big 3. I was happy when the C's signed him and I'd like him to stay for the next rebuilding stage - even though I understand if he doesnt' want to.
It's difficult to evaluate Pop as a coach.
at least he has the redhead in street clothes
I don't think Boston has faced a team that has pushed the ball like Phoenix, plus I could've sworn that Boston lost both it's meetings against the Suns this season and that was prior to the Suns All-Star renaissance. Cleveland got the same open looks the Suns got except they didn't make them. Give Lebron those exact same 3pt shooters the Spurs faced and it's over for Boston in 3 games. They're about to face a team similar to the Suns in Orlando so I'll be watching closely.
Orlando is similar to the Suns except they have the best big man in the game and are a top defensive team.
http://web.archive.org/web/200612140...ge/4110194.htm
I don't think even Pop has had one of these yet, well except for all the threads on ST
You're selling the Suns short on defense, plus Nelson is not Nash and Amare won't foul out in 2 minutes.
nice -from 2006? No recent signatures on that sitehttp://web.archive.org/web/200612140...ge/4110194.htm
I don't think even Pop has had one of these yet, well except for all the threads on ST
Doc would not play Bonner. so I would have to say yes
The Suns are a bottom 10 defense in the NBA and can't rebound.
Collins or Frye is not Howard and Hill and Dudley are not Lewis and Carter. Suns defense is far below Orlando's
I would be happy for Doc I suppose. If Phil and Kobe win, which is highly likely, I will throw up in my mouth.
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