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NBA FINALS: LAKERS v CELTICSJune 15, 2008Doc RiversLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Game Five Q. Doc, with Kendrick saying he's not playing. What's the plan for who's starting at center? DOC RIVERS: We'll go with either Leon or P.J. we'll wait and see. But you know, we kind of thought he was going to play after yesterday, and he called me this morning and he said there's just no chance of it. We're prepared for it. We can go a lot of ways. We can go small, but we're going to start out big. Q. How concerned are you that this may require extra minutes out of Kevin Garnett? DOC RIVERS: Well, he can only in my mind play a certain amount of minutes no matter what the situation is and be effective, so his minutes will not change. The only thing that this really changes is with Perk on the floor, it allows you to do certain things with Kevin as far as being a roamer, and it basically takes him out of that role. So that's a tough blow. But other than that, we've had injuries all year at certain times, and the other guys have pitched in. So we're fine. Q. Just how serious is this with Kendrick? They do say that this injury can get worse. DOC RIVERS: Yeah, a couple years ago, if you remember, he went out and he sat a little bit, came out, went out again, had it surgically repaired. Now it went out earlier in the year, if I recall, and I think he sat out two or three games for that. It's just something that's happened. I don't know after a year if it's going to be reevaluated. I just didn't ask those questions. Obviously it's not a great injury to have. Q. Does this move Kevin into the middle? DOC RIVERS: It does at times, more than we would want, I can tell you that. But no choice, so yeah. Q. If you do go with P.J. Brown, are there -- do you have like a limit of the amount of minutes that you want to play him, or is there -- DOC RIVERS: There's no limit. There's a visual limit. You just look at him sometimes, and then you know you've got to get him off the floor. But there's days when P.J. has been amazing. We had one playoff game I think he played 13 or 15 straight minutes. That was Game 7 of -- one of the Game 7s we've had, I can't recall. So you just watch. You just watch him. I do worry about that, though, I can tell you that. That's why we may go in another direction, just to start someone else to try to burn some minutes and give P.J. his normal minutes. Q. With the record you set for a one-year turnaround this year, is that more of an achievement or does it mean you were really lousy last year -- DOC RIVERS: That hurts (laughter). Q. Could Chicago and Miami do that next year? DOC RIVERS: Yeah, they could. They were close this year. I would assume both of those teams would be pretty good. I'm answering the second question. You basically confirmed the first one. Yeah, I mean, great draft picks. I don't know their free agent stuff, but yeah, I think a lot of teams are that close, to one player away, to turn their teams around. Q. It doesn't have to be veteran guys then? DOC RIVERS: Could be a combination. Obviously when they're picking who they pick, the two guys that everyone says is consistency 1 and 2, I think they're going to help you right away, especially the point guard. I'm biased, but I do think, yeah, it can turn around quickly. Q. With the injuries piling up, do you feel, have you expressed to your team a sense of urgency to end this thing tonight? DOC RIVERS: Well, there was that without the injuries, I can tell you that. We have a sense of urgency. We need to play with one. We didn't play with one until the second half the other night. We were fortunate to win the game. When you watch the film for the second and third and fourth time, the first half and second half, the sense of urgency of play on defense, it was two different teams. We have to play that way every night, and we absolutely have to play that way now from this point forward with the injuries. They're clearly mounting for us. But you know, like I said, our team has been pretty good at gathering themselves and covering up for each other. Q. In your mind if there's a Game 6, do you think Perk could play in Game 6? DOC RIVERS: You want to get in my mind (laughter)? That's a dangerous place. I would probably say doubtful. But again, I don't know. But I would say doubtful. Q. What is it that you and Jack Nicholson talk about on the sidelines there? It looks like he's jawing at you out there a lot. DOC RIVERS: Well, that's the beginning of the games. Other than that, he's jawing, but it's not to me. He's just yelling out on the floor. Q. What is he telling you before the game? DOC RIVERS: Usually tells me his golf score from that day, and I always question the number that he tells me (laughter). Other than that, that's about all we talk about. End of FastScripts |
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