When Doc Rivers speaks, he rarely does so to hand out praise; so much so that while analyzing the latest superstar he has coached, a two-time NBA MVP like Giannis Antetokounmpo, he does not refrain from taking shots.
In a conversation with Bill Simmons, the retired coach stresses how difficult it was to coach the Greek, criticizing him for having only one plan on the floor no matter the moment of the game.
«No es un jugador fácil. Juega a ese ritmo loco… Es realmente un tipo difícil. Tiene gran habilidad para pasar el balón, pero al mismo tiempo no es súper inteligente. Realmente solo tiene una forma de jugar. En cada jugada, quiere forzar la acción. Ojalá hubiera aprendido a ejecutar mejor», comenta.
Continuing with the analysis of the now franchise player of the Miami Heat, he understands that being under the command of one of the best coaches such as Erik Spoelstra should help him.
«La cosa es que todavía necesita aprender el valor de la ejecución, qué tan importante es, cuando estás en el entrenamiento o en la rueda de tiros, enfocarte en la ejecución. Ahora tiene un entrenador que es élite en la ejecución», sentencia.
Doc Rivers and the 2008 Championship Ring
When Doc Rivers won the 2008 championship with the Boston Celtics, his prestige shot through the roof. He had led a team to glory that hadn’t even come close since Larry Bird, and that propelled him to take on huge projects such as the Clippers of Chris Paul and Blake Griffin or the Philadelphia 76ers led by Joel Embiid. In both cases he crashed, just as in Milwaukee, leaving a legacy that today, even in retirement, is not easy to analyze.
