Doc Needs To Be Fired Now

So much has been written about Doc Rivers’ inability to coach, and for me there is always a reason to write more. I am obsessed with Doc because he is such a profoundly bad coach that he almost automatically becomes the story when I watch C’s games. In a league dominated by players, and where often even the best coaches can do little in way of effecting their teams significantly, it is hard to believe what Doc has done. He has carved a niche of ineptitude that even Dunleavy and Saunders must be jealous of. With the acquisition of KG, it is time more than ever to scrutinize Doc, and to realize that with him as a coach you cannot succeed.

There are two sides of belief concerning the current Celtics roster. One is that this team is loaded and should be heading to the finals unless injuries befall it. The other is that while this team has three legitimate stars, it has no depth and will fail to reach the 50 win plateau or the conference finals. I agree wholeheartedly with the first school of thought - if Doc is fired and an adequate coach replaces him. And I agree just as strongly with the negative results of the second opinion - if Doc remains coach. Does he make that big a difference? Of course he does, and that is what so many fans seem to still not realize.

I’ve heard again and again since the KG trade, “even Doc can’t screw this up.” To this I ask – have you watched this man coach? How can he not screw it up? This situation was made for Doc Rivers. The Celtics are loaded in a conference where nobody else is. Few coaches would be able to mask this. But Doc will come up with eloquent excuses, point fingers unfairly, and get sympathetic treatment from the Boston media – all while digging this team into the ground.

Still, there is the notion held by a sizable minority (i.e. Bob Ryan) that the Celtics won’t be that good, and that it will have nothing to do with Doc. Those, ahem, idiots will start spewing invective at the star triumvirate when shit hits the fan. We will have the good ol' it's the players who have to make the plays b.s. tossed at us. And what could be a magical season in all likelihood will end in disaster.

So Doc has to be fired. Now. There is zero chance this is going to happen, but I have to say it. To blow this year is gonna be a brutal thing, and hopefully it can be rectified. The window is small; how small we don’t know, but the triumvirate is not getting any younger, and to waste this year would be a shame. The joy of watching KG, Pierce and Allen rocking it with Rondo is going to sour quickly when we lose with astounding regularity.

And have no doubt it will happen with Doc at the helm. Despite having to give huge minutes to the big three, the rest of the rotation will surely be mangled, because as we all know by now: Doc doesn’t have a rotation. If the Celtics do sign a somewhat capable backup at point, you know Rondo will be fucked. Perkins, Big Baby, Pollard and Powe will all have their strong moments – which unfortunately will have no bearing on how much Doc plays them. Actually if one of those guys is playing well, we can bet he will be back on the bench in the very near future, and if that player is going through a bad spell – well, he’ll be starting. Scalabrine will play too much, it’s almost guaranteed, and his hustle will be misused when he is out there. Doc will make sure Tony Allen stays in when he commits silly turnovers, particularly if he is not healthy and shouldn’t be playing at all.

But the key with Doc's use of supporting players is how he inserts and takes them out at the most inopportune times. Get ready for Eddie House taking over for Tony Allen when we’re already up by twenty. Scal to come in when we need scoring. Perk to come out when we need interior defense. And Gabe Pruitt to come in for crunch time. Ah, it’s funny cause it’s true. With Doc anything is possible.

Plus, we’ll play shitty defense. Or we’ll play it well for two games and then have it forgotten about for the next ten games. But, hey, it’s the players’ fault, right? Also, Doc is going to overplay and burn out KG, Pierce and Ray by giving them too many minutes during the regular season. This’ll make sure they’re tired for the playoffs, and also hopefully will cause nagging injuries, and maybe even a debilitating one.

God, it’s going to be a good year. I’ve talked myself into it. Doc can coach this team! Can’t wait to see what Bob Ryan has for us in February.