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Doc Rivers rips Celtics after latest loss: ‘We’re taking the wrong approach’ 01.21.13 at 2:25 am ET
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Celtics coach Doc Rivers sounded exasperated after his team's loss on Sunday. (AP)

After the Celtics suffered a 103-88 blowout loss to the Pistons in Detroit on Sunday night, coach Doc Rivers blasted his team for its lack of intensity and effort. He hinted at changes to either the lineup or the roster if the team continues the dispassionate play that the coach suggested had characterized not just the team’s three straight losses but even some of the victories towards the end of a six-game winning streak that preceded the current string of defeats.

“I think this team wants everything easy,” Rivers told reporters in Detroit after the Celtics fell back to .500 at 20-20. “They want the easy way out. They want to win easy. And I told them the only way you’re going to win easy is you’re going to have to play hard. The harder you play, the easier the games become. We’re taking the wrong approach. I’ve got to either find the right combination, the right guys, or we’re going to get some guys out of here. It’s the bottom line. Because this group right now, they are not playing right. It’s in them to play right. But right now they haven’t been — either because I’m not getting to them, or they are not getting to each other. But at the end of the day, either we’ve got to do that, or we’ve got to make changes.”

The Celtics were outscored by Detroit, 27-18, in the first quarter, a stretch that Rivers said was typical of the team in recent days.

“[The start of game] was awful, we are playing awful,” Rivers told reporters. “I’m clearly not doing my job with this team. And I’m serious, I’m not trying to take a bullet for the team. And I told them that. I said, ‘We’ve got to find something where, every night, all 12 guys play the same way.’ We did it for three games in a stretch. I told them that games 4 and 5 in that [six-game] winning streak were garbage; we just won the game. I’ve got to figure that out. I told the guys that, I’ve got to figure it out. Because I don’t think the guys are honest with each other. I just don’t think we have committed to being a good basketball team.”

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  • pft2

    Cody Ross messing up that FB in the 6th did not help either.

    • johnhenryhatesbaseball

      Ross has constitently proven he is not a top notch fielder.

  • http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/ZVFM2HRNC5CTO2OUXD4XTX65O4 Dennis

      Bard is not a starter. When Matzu comes back in a couple of weeks, put Bard back in the pen. If he doesn’t like it, trade him.

    • George

       Right when they need starting pitching, trade the guy who has arguably been the sox best starter this year…GREAT IDEA!

    • bhdyer20

      Good plan trade a guy who is young, in your control, and throws in the 90′s

  • JimDaytona

    What a mess the Sox pitching is. Buck and Bard’s talent have slid backwards in the past year and two years for Bard. Bard was aweful last Aug. and Sept. and nothing has changed. We can only hope that Dice-K and Cook can step up and do hope there is some help out there. Money Ball in Oak relative to pitching is doing well whereby both Theo and Ben are clueless. It is amazing to watch the performances of Sox pitching as a whole and the fact that A-Gon does not belong in the 3 or 4 hole as he is not a clutch player. Very sad. 

  • Benny

    I think Bard is fitting in nicely…he went into the 6′th and only gave up 4 runs…he’s looking more and more like the typical Sox starter every outing. He’s going to be a good Sox starter.

  • kozlodoev

    Life changes a lot when you can’t just hurl a 98 mph fastball at hitters and hope they miss, doesn’t it?

  • Boston_Sports

    Celtics need to find a team in contention and trade for up and coming players. This team has no passion.

    • Nirvana

      Cousins?

  • Chrisindanvers

    I don’t blame Doc for feeling that way. This team – though talented – is a major disappointment. At the beginning of the year, the top 12 players on the team (not including Sullinger) had all been starters for other teams. There is no way this team should be playing this poorly.

    The problem is not a reflection of Doc or Danny. It is a reflection of a team that has too many people from 1 – 12 taking time off. Even the three players you thought you could count on, Paul Pierce and KG, are doing that.

    While this team could still make some noise, it is easy to see that something is not clicking. And, it appears that it may now be time of a shake up. The one good thing about this team is that Danny is not afraid to do that.

  • jaypop

    doc has to take a lot of the blame. i know coaches coach and players play but it is his job to invent new ways for these guys to be effective. the ball no longer gets shared, or moved unselfishly, the offense has been stale. rebounding has been and always will be a big problem as long as this defensive system is used. the problem is , they are a jump shooting team, and as soon as the ball leaves the hand four guys are running back on defense instead of crashing the boards. danny you need to make some changes for youth, and maybe for a coach who is not so averted to using none vets, lord knows doc has his vets and what have they done !!!! celtics fan for life !!!!

  • SK

    Oh well… I am the ultimate optimist… but it is starting to look bad. Cs must make some changes. We have no presence in the middle. Drummond, Monroe and even W.Bynum were having their way in paint. Even our ‘trainee’ Fab Melo might be better than what we have now. You cannot even dream of a banner if you lose to Detroit, NO, other garbage teams…..  and on top of that neither PP nor KG or BB can hit any shots at the start. PP is looking old last few games!!!! Danny, please bring a big body in the middle….Antony Randolph, Mozekoff, Gortat….at least promote Fab!!!!

    • Snz67

      SK I’ve been saying Paul Pierce is an old tire since last year. He can be so clutch one game and then suck the next two. When he’s not playing good he pouts and doesn’t shake his teamates hands when going to the bench. KG never does this even if the C’s are getting blown out. I like PP but he’s not my favorite player. Brandon Bass and Jeff Green are dissapointments as well.

      • SK

        How would we resurrect this team with trades… the toughness of Parish and Perk [such a staple of Cs are gone]. Could we trade BB and pick for a tough center. Any idea if this Antony Randolph is any good? He was okay in Minny. We do need some shake up…

  • dmm1047

     Either the talent’s not there or the players aren’t listening.

  • http://twitter.com/WestEndGirl62 WestEndGirl

    Jason Terry talks a good game, but I guess he can’t handle the pressure of 17 banners.  Courtney lee is a joke, it looks like he lays hard, but he is often the goat on key defensive plays.  As much as I like Green, if he doesn’t start, he is generally ineffective.  Him and paul cannot both co-exist.  And for goodness sakes start Jared Sullinger, Basshas a prtetty jumpshot and that is it.  He doesn’t rebound consistently and he hardly ever boxes out. PP is forcing to many plays, and Garnett passes to areas not to players.

  • Snz67

    Some issues are Paul Pierce’s defense and his constant complaining to the refs. Whenever he gets stripped; after dribbling the ball for 20 seconds or thinks he’s fouled he complains to the refs while the other 9 guys on the court are running up the court. KG shoots way too much from the outside. Jason Terry appears to be a bust. All Jeff Green wants to do is shoot 3′s from the corner. Rondo misses alot of easy layups. Need to start looking to the future.

  • Dave

    I’ll blame Doc for one thing: he has the wrong forwards starting with Rondo.  Bass can’t catch Rondo’s passes, and Pierce has never needed Rondo’s playmaking.  In fact, both Bass and Pierce are one-on-one players, and both should come off the bench.  Green can run with Rondo and needs Rondo.  Sullinger can catch Rondo’s passes and score inside.  Before considering trading Rondo, I would give him forwards that fit his game.  Bass was originally meant to be an energy player off the bench, and he could be, but Sully needs to start and to get the most minutes. Pierce has been a great Celtic and should thrive in a great Celtic tradition: sixth man.  Doc and Danny need to try this “forward” move before making any trade.  Then the only trade that makes sense is Rondo since that’s the only one that could return real value.

    • Robert

      I agree 100%. Maybe if Pierce lost his starting spot he wouldn’t coast so much. Jeff Green sees no chance as long as Peirce is in the way. Sullinger is the one bright spot. He is much better than I thought.

  • Jim Jim

    make a move with this team danny. put pierce on the block. bring in cousins

  • Celtics1975

    effort, play the same way against the pistons as you did the bulls an you win. That’s the one thing that truly bother’s me, alway’s has alway’s will.

  • Matty

    if there is a major trade done by the deadline to shake up the roster. circle this game as the start of it.

  • cosmanus

    Paul Pierce has been a GREAT Celtic. However, if the Celtics care about their present and future, Pierce should be traded as soon as possible. He plays in second gear 90% of the time. They are obviously not going anywhere this season anyway so trade him now to a top contender for a younger player who can run with Rondo.

    • Robert

      Great Celtics don’t coast like Pierce does. He sets a bad example for younger players.

  • Touchdowtony9

    I understand they just lost 3 in a row all to teams they should have beat, but they also just came off a 6 game win streak. This team lacks in one area constantly for me at least, EFFORT. When they put forth an aggressive effort on defense and offense they can beat any team in this league. When they dont they settle for poor jumpshots, they dont run, and they dont communicate well on defense. There is a distinct reason they won 6 games in a row sparked by Avery Bradley. Effort on both ends. Im not going to rush to make a move I just want to see them put forth a better effort like they can night in and night out.

  • RDee

    They need to blow it up and START OVER………………….Keep Bradley, Sullinger ONLY!

  • quazymoto

    Sounds like the perfect time to explore if Pau Gosol is really available and see what the Lakers would want in return??

  • Doug

    I”m so glad I don’t follow the NBA closely anymore, I just look at the box scores, used to be a fanatacal Celtic fan, but I see what a joke they have become, it’s really sad, no fire, no determination, old team that is fading rapidly.  I’m looking forward to the baseball season, this team is an embarassment.

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