<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Doc Rivers is still in Mark Blount?s corner, believing that his center will have a productive year. But the coach made it clear last night that he will draw the line on any player who doesn?t stay on the Celtics reservation. Blount was critical of the Celts? plan against San Antonio, saying he didn?t get the ball enough. He followed that up by saying he wasn?t getting proper help on defense, either. Rivers said it was ?Mark being Mark,? and last night he was hopeful but firm. ?I?m not concerned about it,? Rivers said before Blount went out and had 17 points in a 102-82 win over Houston. ?Hopefully Mark understands this is a team game and if he stays with the team that things will work out. ?I thought Mark would come back in great shape and play this season. Honestly. But obviously he?s had a history of emotional stuff, so we?ve just got to stay with him and try to coach him the best he can. ?But no one?s going to undermine this team. I will say that.? While showing a better capacity to score this season, Blount has a total of just five rebounds combined in his last three games. And Rivers plans to hold his players to tighter standards this season. ?The one rule I have on this team is that you?re going to play based on your production ? not from who you are,? Rivers said. ?And that rule I thought at times was bent last year. It will not be bent this year.? The coach did acknowledge that Kendrick Perkins is waiting close in the wings, saying, ?Kendrick is going to play minutes eventually this year. He has to do things better that people don?t see, but Perk works. He?s going to play at some point.? </div> Source
Some would disagree, but I don't think Doc is trying to light a fire under Blount here. Blount is playing with as much fire as I've seen a player operate with in some time. He has a LOT of critics, and he is doing everything he can to show them he's the real thing. That said, hit the boards for Chrissakes! Doc is a tough guy with a good sense of how players work, he's not Auerbach when it comes to player relations, and he should know by now that Blount doesn't react well to being called out, but he's proving that he's on the player's side too. He wants this team to jel, and they appear to be doing a fair job of that. A small contribution on the court would be more beneficial to Doc's record right now, and he should probably be more worried about that than what to say to the press.
Doc should slap Blount. I know players speaking out is commonplace in the States, but i don't think it's appropriate for a player like Blount to be going public. It's not great if the superstars do it, but at least they've earnt the right to speak their mind.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Doc should slap Blount. I know players speaking out is commonplace in the States, but i don't think it's appropriate for a player like Blount to be going public. It's not great if the superstars do it, but at least they've earnt the right to speak their mind. </div> Amen
Blount always talks a good game but he seldom backs it up. He is scoring this year which is a plus but like in past years he plays very soft. 5 rebs in 3 games? are you kidding me? When I see Blount make a low post move and stop shooting these 10-15 footers then Ill give him his props. He is crying about no help on D. Damn when was the last time you heard a 7 footer say that?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Jerry West:</div><div class="quote_post">Doc should slap Blount. I know players speaking out is commonplace in the States, but i don't think it's appropriate for a player like Blount to be going public. It's not great if the superstars do it, but at least they've earnt the right to speak their mind.</div> Exactly. The only problem is that Pierce never says anything. He's having a great year, but he needs to better motivate his teammates.
