It still boggles my mind how the NBA named Doc Rivers a top 15 coach ever

[1987_Lakers]

It seems like everywhere he has gone since he left Boston his teams have underachieved or made no improvements, has blown THREE 3-1 leads, also a 3-2 lead in the Finals. Before the KG trade he was widely considered one of the worst coaches. Rarely makes any meaningful in game adjustments, When Lue replaced him the Clippers seemed to player smarter. Like how did any of these coaches not get in over Doc?...

Alex Hannum - Best 60's coach not named Red, led 2 different NBA franchises to a title, also coached an ABA team to a title

Bill Sharman - Introduced morning shootaround for players, coached a team to a title

Mike D'Antoni - Offensive genius

I mean, wtf?

[Wally450]

Even on the 2008 team, I believe the Celtics won in spite of Doc's coaching. No reason we should've gone 7 with the 37-win Hawks and a young Cavs team. Thibodeau was the real mastermind behind the team's success.

[Axe]

He would have led the Cs to two rings if perkins wasn't riddled with injuries during the 2010 finals.

[1987_Lakers]

He would have led the Cs to two rings if perkins wasn't riddled with injuries during the 2010 finals.

Doc's coaching style in the huddle.

"The starting 5 has never lost!"

*Perkins gets traded*

“They go down as never having lost a playoff series.” - Phil Jackson

[Kblaze8855]

I believe Doc was coach of the year when he was in Orlando and had a decent team that should have won 15 games. Darrell Armstrong and maybe bald pre star Ben Wallace were on that team. Ron Mercer might have been the go to guy. I think that’s where he got his first notoriety. His biggest ****up was never on the court decisions though. His biggest ****up was when Duncan had agreed to join Orlando in his prime to form a big 3 with Tmac and Hill and when they were already house shopping in Orlando Duncan’s wife asked if she could fly on the team plane to away games like Pop let her and Doc said no.

Just like that Orlando lost the east coast Shaq and Kobe.

[dankok8]

I believe Doc was coach of the year when he was in Orlando and had a decent team that should have won 15 games. Darrell Armstrong and maybe bald pre star Ben Wallace were on that team. Ron Mercer might have been the go to guy. I think that’s where he got his first notoriety. His biggest ****up was never on the court decisions though. His biggest ****up was when Duncan had agreed to join Orlando in his prime to form a big 3 with Tmac and Hill and when they were already house shopping in Orlando Duncan’s wife asked if she could fly on the team plane to away games like Pop let her and Doc said no.

Just like that Orlando lost the east coast Shaq and Kobe.

I didn't know this story. Was Duncan to the Magic actually that close?

[Kblaze8855]

I didn't know this story. Was Duncan to the Magic actually that close?


He was literally house shopping in Orlando. He knew Doc from his time on the spurs. Doc was rumored to replace Pop if an early losing streak continued but they turned it around and Doc went to Orlando where he was coach of the year and put together a cheap roster specifically to have space to sign either Duncan or Webber and a second star. Ended up being Hill. Tmac was eyed as the third guy. Beat Riley to the big 3 free agency punch by 10 years and ruined it pissing off his wife.

[ShawkFactory]

I believe Doc was coach of the year when he was in Orlando and had a decent team that should have won 15 games. Darrell Armstrong and maybe bald pre star Ben Wallace were on that team. Ron Mercer might have been the go to guy. I think that’s where he got his first notoriety. His biggest ****up was never on the court decisions though. His biggest ****up was when Duncan had agreed to join Orlando in his prime to form a big 3 with Tmac and Hill and when they were already house shopping in Orlando Duncan’s wife asked if she could fly on the team plane to away games like Pop let her and Doc said no.

Just like that Orlando lost the east coast Shaq and Kobe.

Insane how something so small changed the course of basketball history.

[Kblaze8855]

This is what Grant Hill says:


. "I remember like it was yesterday, we went to dinner, and Tim's girlfriend asked Doc a question: 'can wives and girlfriends travel on the team plane?' You gotta understand, back then it didn't happen, it happens now, but back then it didn't happen. So Doc says, 'no, it's a business trip, it doesn't happen. I don't allow that'. I didn't know that San Antonio had started doing that, and so that's why.



Doc has heard about his ****up so many times he has his own story now. He says he told her sometimes but not all the time.

Id have told him whatever he needed to hear. Change the rules later if it’s a problem.

[John8204]

Race and politics were huge factors in this...I'm not sure if KC Jones, Lenny Wilkens, and Doc Rivers belong on the top 15 list. It's really weird that Jones who is not in the Hall of Fame is on the top 15 list but Bill Russell who I would argue is more deserving than the other three wasn't.

Bill Fitch #2 in games didn't make the list
John Kundla has 5 titles and he didn't make the cut
Billy Cunningham has a better case for the coach list than the player one

[TheGoatest]

Over-accomplished with bad teams (1999-00 Magic, 2018-19 Clippers), under-accomplished with championship-caliber teams (only 1 championship with the Garnett-Pierce-Allen Celtics, 0 2nd round exits with the CP3-Blake-DeAndre Clippers and so far with the Embiid-Harden Sixers). That's what kind of a coach Doc is.