Celtics kailangan nang maghanap ng bagong coach

WALTHAM, Mass.  – Ang akala ni Boston Celtics general manager Danny Ainge, si Doc Rivers na ang susunod kina Gregg Popovich, Jerry Sloan at Red Auerbach  na mga coaches na tumagal sa isang team ng dekada.

Hindi umabot si Rivers.

“He felt like it was time for a change. He felt like we all needed a change,’’ sabi ni Ainge matapos paka-walan si Rivers sa kanyang kontrata para makapag-coach sa Los Angeles Clippers. “That was his rationalization, or justification, for going to the Clippers: that this was better for everybody.’’

Matapos ang ilang linggong negosasyon kung saan lilipat sana ang mga Boston stars na sina Kevin Garnett at Paul Pierce sa Los Angeles kasama si Rivers, inihayag ng Celtics nitong Martes na inaprubahan na ng NBA ang deal para makalipat ang kanilang coach sa Clippers kapalit ng first-round pick sa 2015.

Sinabi ni Ainge sa news conference na hindi pa siya naghanap ng bagong coach dahil hindi siya naniniwalang lilipat si Rivers.

“I haven’t thought in anticipation of this,’’ sabi ni Ainge. “It really, probably still hasn’t hit me that this has happened. Probably because I thought it wasn’t going to happen. I have not talked with one coaching candidate to this point.’’