It’s looking more doubtful that Doc Rivers will return to the Celtics for a 10th season. (Getty Images)
Will he stay or will he go?
That’s the question on Celtics fans minds this morning, with the consensus being that Rivers has coached his final game in Boston. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who first gave life to the Rivers/Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce package deal to L.A. story in May, joined the Dennis & Callahan morning show on WEEI sports radio Monday morning and said the chances of Rivers going or staying are “50/50.”
“Ultimately, all the cards are being held by Danny Ainge,” Smith said. “It’s a 50-50 shot either a deal gets done or Doc Rivers stays in Boston. I don’t think Doc Rivers will sit out for the year, then do television and all this other stuff. I think he’s going to stay and coach in Boston this year, or he’ll move on because Danny Ainge will see an opportunity to get young and to get a box-office attraction to some degree, if not Blake Griffin, then some quality young guys you can build around.”
It will be extremely difficult for Rivers to come back to Boston after all the flirtation with the Clippers over the last 48 hours or so. Several outlets reported that they expect a decision to be made on Rivers’ future with the Green by Tuesday. As Smith pointed out, there is a chance that Rivers could return to television. He was the lead color analyst in 2004 for ABC/ESPN, then working alongside play-by-play man Al Michaels.
