Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
BH: How much of an asset does Doc become?
WG: “That’s huge, having Doc and (general manager) Danny (Ainge) here. We often hear people say free agents don’t come to Boston, but I don’t think that’s going to be true. First of all, I considered Kevin a free agent when he chose us. When (the Minnesota Timberwolves) did a sign-and-trade with us, he agreed to the trade. I’m splitting hairs, but he chose to be here in Boston. Doc was voted in (Sports Illustrated) as the coach players most want to play for in the NBA. You also have Rondo here to get you the ball in the perfect spot. You have Pierce, maybe Ray. It’s a great place to play basketball.”
[…] BH: How has Doc grown?
WG: “He was coach of the year before he came up here, but then (in his last year with the Orlando Magic) he started 1-12 and they let him go. For the first few years people were saying, ‘Fire Doc, fire Danny,’ and I wasn’t going for that. I didn’t think we had given Doc enough of a roster to win, and I thought Danny’s draft picks with Rondo, and Tony (Allen), and (Kendrick Perkins) and Ryan Gomes, Delonte (West) showed those guys were doing everything they could. . . . I remember what he said when we went down and interviewed him in Orlando. He said, ‘I’ll coach the kids, take the lumps, take the losses, but you have to let me coach the championship team when it comes.’ And we said, ‘It’s a deal.’ He grew into being a championship coach. Now they say he’s one of the top two X’s and O’s coaches in the league, and they used to say he was at the bottom. That confidence shows through every day now. Every word he says makes the players take notice.”
Herald: Wyc Grousbeck’s glass half full
There is so much to choose from in that link, so by all means, blow work off for another 10 minutes and read it (ok, probably more like 30 minutes by the time you read it, talk about it on Twitter, share it on Facebook, and then get distracted from there cruising through your ex-girlfriend’s pictures with some other guy who can’t possibly make her as happy as you do and WHY IS HE EVEN WITH THAT FAT-ASS??? I’M THE PERFECT GUY FOR YOU!!! WHY CAN’T YOU SEE THAT??? …… ahem… sorry…. I digress)
There are a few things that matter about a free agent choosing a new team, and let’s be honest here, basketball isn’t always at the top of the list. Location helps because there aren’t a lot of guys who want to be holed up in the middle of nowhere all winter long. There’s also the little matter of money, which the Celtics haven’t had. A little extra cash can make even the biggest beach bum think “eh, what’s a little snow?”
So when the Celtics couldn’t out-bid teams, other factors came into play and it cost them. Now, they’ve got a little extra spending money, and they’ve a selling point that few other teams can match: Doc Rivers. He’s proven to be a great coach that has a great relationship with his players. And in many ways, he’s perfect for NBA guys because he can be the ball-busting player’s coach who has fun with you and kind of lets you do your own thing… which guys love. But he’s also the hard-ass that will make you accountable when you don’t do the right thing.
Doc has said all along that KG being so on board with him is a HUGE help in all of this. When your best player buys in, everyone else has to buy in. It’s another reason why having KG back will be a big deal. But potential free agents looking at how they’re going to spend their lives from September to June… a full TEN months of the year… the guy who’ll be giving you orders matters. And there aren’t a lot of guys better at doing that than Doc.
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One other note about Kevin Garnett: He’s the #57 highest paid athlete in the world. He’s made nearly $300 million over his career. Wow.
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston: (Insider) Mock Draft 8.0 (C’s picks: Andrew Nicholson, Moe Harkless) | Summer romance: C’s work out Dorsey? | Draft Profile: Royce White | WEEI Draft Profiles: John Henson | Jeffrey Taylor | Royce White | Harrison Barnes | Tyshawn Taylor | Quincy Miller | Globe: Heat on the verge of closing out title |
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