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NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS v HEATJune 7, 2012Doc RiversBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS: Game Six Q. If Chris Bosh would start, how does that affect what you do? COACH DOC RIVERS: It doesn't affect us. Like I've said all year about us, we don't change a lot. We don't have the capability to change a lot. I actually thought he had very good rhythm in the game the other night. I was surprised how well he looked, actually. He poses problems. There's no doubt. We're using Kevin I guess to be like a safety at times. We still have to do that, basically. And that means Bosh will be open. We are just going to have to rotate more with other guys. Obviously, that weakens your defense in some ways, but we have no choice; we have to do that. I think it's really important for the traps to continue by Kevin. It just is going to add another guy in rotation, which is something we haven't had to do, and with Bosh, we probably will have to do if he gets it going. Q. Doc, you have gone with the small lineup quite a bit, how does Bosh's return impact that? Will you look to go more traditional? COACH DOC RIVERS: Well, the game will dictate it. We're going to go small at some point. I can guarantee you that. Bosh may be the only big at times for them on the floor, too, even though he'll play more. But there will be times where they'll put him at the five and have other guys like Battier and those guys at the four, and still allow us to be small. I will not be surprised to see the Haslem‑Bosh lineup on the floor more tonight. And then we'll have to make a choice whether we want to stay big or try to go small and see what we have. I always think in that situation, at least for us, the game will dictate what we're going to do in some times. We'll see. Q. Greg Stiemsma just got added to the US select team. Is this a result of the hard work he's put in this year? COACH DOC RIVERS: Yeah, and I told Coach K clearly they want to make sure the U.S. team wins those games. But that's great for him. There's not a lot of bigs out there. He's put in the time. He's such a team player. So I think in those type of venues, he'll be terrific. He's skilled. So I'm just hoping his foot is healthy enough, when that comes around for him to actually play in those games. I think it will be a great experience for him. So I'm hoping he can make it to those games. Q. Doc, Coach Spoelstra was saying earlier that he met you in a coaching clinic in the summer and picked your brain a little bit about how to deal with superstars. Can you just talk about, A, that, and B, what's the most important part of dealing with a team that has so many stars? COACH DOC RIVERS: Listen, first of all, I think they're all different. Every person is different. You know that. In your work you deal with guys every day, and the same thing with stars and superstars. They're different in a lot of ways. So I think every case is individual. But it was funny, because we were talking to 200 coaches, and you see Erik sitting there, and you say, I'm not going to say this or I'm not going to talk about this. A lot of it was ATO stuff. I was like, I'm not sharing that. So it was funny. Coaches share a lot. You would be amazed how much. Our fraternity is really close. You would be amazed how much we talk and share with each other, and it was good. Q. Doc, a little bit off track here, in light of the season that you just went through, with the injuries and stuff, can you talk about the importance Eddie handled everything this year for you as a trainer? COACH DOC RIVERS: Eddie we call him the MVP all the time, and the Grim Reaper, because the days he comes in, I don't talk to him now when he walks in my office. When he comes in your office, it's not good news coming. I told him it feels like he's been in my office all year. But when you go back in that training room now, it is packed. It really is. And even with like some of the guys that are quote, unquote "healthy" on our team right now, they're in there. So he's been put to the test. He's had an MVP year for us. Without him and his‑‑ he's such a positive guy. You know Eddie. Without that, I can guarantee you there's no way we would be here. Q. Doc, Ray Allen, despite his injury, has been doing some of the best rebounding of his career right now during the postseason. Is that a shift in philosophy? COACH DOC RIVERS: No, no. That's just Ray doing whatever he can to help the team. I don't appreciate his offensive rebound attempts, I can tell you that, because against this team if you go for an offensive rebound and don't get it, then you're guaranteeing them a fast break. But his defensive rebounds have been terrific. And we want to just keep stressing that. Listen, we're not big, obviously. And one of the teams‑‑ we talk about team rebounding. We've talked about it all year. There's nobody on our team that we don't hold accountable for not going to the defensive glass. We have to do it as all five. It's always good when a guard gets a rebound, because it gives us a chance to have a fast break. So it's been terrific. And he's been great at it. Q. Coach, there's been a lot of talk about playing Game 7 today, that kind of cliché stuff. What does that mean? COACH DOC RIVERS: Nothing. I mean, it really doesn't. Listen, whatever gets our guys to have a sense of urgency, I'll take it. If that's what it is, that's terrific. If this being your last home game this series‑‑ I don't really care about it. At the end of the day, we have to play. And whatever gets our guys going, if that's it, then that's great. At the end of the day, when they throw the ball up, all that stuff is forgotten. You have to compete, you have to execute and you have to play together. Thanks, guys. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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