http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1720254 <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">-- Jim O'Brien resigned as coach of the Celtics on Tuesday due to philosophical differences with executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge, ESPN has learned. Assistant coach John Carroll will take over the team on an interim basis. The team said it would have a "major announcement'' at 6 p.m. ET, but did not say why. </div> Very surpring timing, but I knew it was coming sooner or later. OB was especially upset about the latest trade involving Ricy Davis, he liked players like Battie and EWill who he lost. Although he may have had soem strange offensive sets, he was the perfect coach for Boston after the Pitino era. Hopefully he finds work elsewhere and the Celtics sign someone like Doc Rivers. O'Brien was 139-119 in three-plus seasons in Boston. Under O'Brien, the Celtics reached the Eastern Conference finals in 2002 and the conference semifinals in 2003. They lost both times to New Jersey.
Wow. I never saw this coming... well, not right now. All the Eastern Conference coaches seem to have... disappeared?
Yeah, get ready for this one: Terry Stotts is now the only Eastern Conference coach remaining from last year(Still coaching the same team). Incredible if you think about it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Str8 Ballin Boy:</div><div class="quote_post">Yeah, get ready for this one: Terry Stotts is now the only Eastern Conference coach remaining from last year(Still coaching the same team). Incredible if you think about it.</div> Yeah, I noticed that too. Extremely interesting. And their are only 11 WC coaches left from last year(which is technically a lot, since there are only 14 WC teams), so only a dozen coaches remain from the end of last season. A dozen! Out of 29. This is by far the biggest turnover in league history. In terms of coach and player turnover, this much action barely takes place over 3 or 4 seasons, let alone half of one. Amazing.
I figured that Danny Ainge would drive O'Brien out of town, but I didn't think he would just throw in the towel in the middle of the season. This is the guy who brought the Celtics back into the playoffs, he gave the team some hope. I would like to see the Celtics hire someone like Doc Rivers, like BC said, or even Byron Scott. I'm sure someone will hire O'Brien. He is too good to be out of work for long.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Abbath:</div><div class="quote_post">And Byron Scott just got fired...hmmm, I definitly think we should hire him.</div> I don't think the Celtics will sign the coach who said Boston was full of drunks and racists
If I was a Celtics fan I would be pretty sad. Obrien was a good coach and the Celtics losing was not his fault. He left because of all the boneheaded moves Danny Ainge made as a GM. Case is Point: -Danny Ainge trades Walker and Delk for Welsch and Lafrentz(Ya, I know welsch is good but he plays the same position as Delk in the first place) -The trading of Eric Williams and Tony Battie for Ricky Davis...one word "awful" and to O'brien this could have been the nail in the coffin for him because the Celts were giving aways two quality defensive players not to mention Williams who was considered the heart and soul of the team thats a pretty bad legacy and I hope it doesn't get worse Now who would you keep? Danny Ainge or Jim O'brien? If you said Danny Ainge you must be smoking crack out of a sewage pipe.
Although he was a good coach I'm somewhat glad to see him go. Is this lineup going to win anything anytime soon C- Marc Blount PF- Walter McCarty SF- Paul Pierce SG- Jiri Welsch PG- Mike James 6th man- Ricky Davis I'm hoping they'll scrap the season and play the young guys C- Kendrick Perkins/Chris Mihm PF- Brandon Hunter SF- Paul Pierce SG- Ricky Davis PG- Marcus Banks 6th Man- Jiri Welsch This is a quick lineup that will be able to play with running teams. The Celtics have their own and the Mavs first round pick this year. That means they can improve in the draft, hopefully they'll be able to get a shooting big man to help out at PF. Here are some coaching possibilities Mike Fratello Doug Collins George Karl Doc Rivers Bill Cartwright Dennis Johnson
Thanks Celtics for taking Ricky off of our hands. Battie, Williams, and Brown have made this team what it is now. I don't know if you guys can win with out O'Brien he's a gooe coach. Ihtink he was fed up with Ricky already because the first week he had him i heard he already wanted to trade him. But thanks again.
Well no doubt Jim did not like that Davis trade at all, nor the Walker deal. The Celts have regressed and it is a shame, the team was competing for the Eastern title.
Dennis Johnson could be a real possibility. The Celtics like hiring in-house candidates, guys who have sported the Celtic green. Hence Ainge. And Ainge's former backcourt buddy hasn't done a bad job coaching. It was a real surprise when Baylor and Sterling didn't give him a chance for at least one full season as head coach in Los Angeles. Ainge is likely to do exactly that, and lock him up for a multi year deal.
This really shocked me, he's been doing so well. He has some real potential and talent by his side. However I would've left too, Ricky Davis is kind of a ballhog and not that hard of a worker in my opinion. Losing Battie was terrible, he was mediocre but a workhorse nevertheless. I always loved players like him and Bo. LaFrentz was a nice change of pace though, some much needed size, strength and offense. Having DJ would be hella cool. He's very knowledgeable and experienced, plus he was such a good player, he'd probably have plenty of tips to give and things to teach.
This really shocked me, he's been doing so well. He has some real potential and talent by his side. However I would've left too, Ricky Davis is kind of a ballhog and not that hard of a worker in my opinion. Losing Battie was terrible, he was mediocre but a workhorse nevertheless. I always loved players like him and Bo. LaFrentz was a nice change of pace though, some much needed size, strength and offense. Having DJ would be hella cool. He's very knowledgeable and experienced, plus he was such a good player, he'd probably have plenty of tips to give. The stuff he'd teach is so invaluable.
