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As a long line of former
Considering that he is reportedly No. 2 on the New York =
Knicks=E2=80=99 wish list=20
behind Mark Jackson,
The only caveat is that teams wait until the Celtics=E2=80=99 playoff =
run finally=20
ends. Despite a published New York report that the Knicks had already =
called and=20
asked for permission to interview Thibodeau, Celtics director of =
basketball=20
operations
=E2=80=9CI haven=E2=80=99t heard anything,=E2=80=9D Ainge said. = =E2=80=9CThere=E2=80=99s a lot of speculation going=20 on right now. But I anticipate that Tom will be on the coaching = candidate list=20 going around the league this summer.=E2=80=9D
The players understand how this works, too.
Most, like point guard
=E2=80=9CHe could definitely be a head coach in this league,=E2=80=9D = Rondo said last night=20 before the C=E2=80=99s 96-77 Game 2 win over Atlanta. =E2=80=9CHopefully = he=E2=80=99ll stay. He=E2=80=99s the=20 best defensive coach I=E2=80=99ve ever played for. He=E2=80=99s the = hardest working coach that=20 I=E2=80=99ve ever seen. I asked him a question about how he works one = time, and he said=20 that it takes him four hours to break down one film.=E2=80=9D
Even for Rondo, considered by coach
It=E2=80=99s not that Thibodeau is the only coach who teaches the = Celtics=E2=80=99 brand of=20 defense, with rotations that have shut down pick-and-rolls and scorers = across=20 the league. And yes, he also has the best material in the league to = mold.
=E2=80=9CEveryone uses the same things,=E2=80=9D forward Brian = Scalabrine said. =E2=80=9CBut not=20 everyone teaches the same way. (Thibodeau) is a good teacher. The thing = about=20 him is that he can teach everyone to do this. As long as Tom gets a team = where=20 he can implement what he does, he=E2=80=99ll be like a lot of guys who = could be great=20 head coaches. But hell yeah, that man can coach. With the way we run our = system,=20 he=E2=80=99s dialed in on the defensive end.=E2=80=9D
Rondo agreed.
=E2=80=9CIt seems like he knows everything,=E2=80=9D Rondo said. = =E2=80=9CHe knows the game. He knows=20 the way every offense is run in the NBA. He teaches differently from a = lot of=20 people, but he also teaches a lot better. He=E2=80=99s just more = thorough with what he=20 does.=E2=80=9D
Minutes dwindle
Tony Allen, singled out by Rivers as someone who had to play = =E2=80=9Cbetter=E2=80=9D - the=20 insinuation being that playoff minutes were in the balance - played only = two=20 minutes last night, after logging a mere nine in Game 1. Eddie House = played=20 three in Game 2 after only five on Sunday.
Rivers, who still played 10 players for 10 or more minutes, said = Allen and=20 House have to remain patient.
=E2=80=9CEddie and Tony - those guys will help us,=E2=80=9D Rivers = said. =E2=80=9CI want everyone to=20 know how tough it is for them. They=E2=80=99ve contributed all year, and = now I=20 understand that it=E2=80=99s tough for them.=E2=80=9D
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