NBA Q&A: Doc Rivers

Courtesy of Mary Schmitt

Q: What do you tell your team about a team coached by Byron Scott?

A: It's going to be a hard-playing team, a well-conditioned team, a team that plays extremely hard. When you look at all the injuries they've had -- and they've had a ton of them and, you hate to say this, but they've had them to key guys -- it makes it a hard job, especially when you're young. Yet when you see them play, they're in every game and they play hard.

Q: Is Anderson Varejao the best rebounder in the league?

A: He's the most active. I'm sure there's somebody who has a better gift at it. But he's just an amazing player to watch. Not only the best rebounder, he may be the best passing big. He is skilled. His energy is part of his skill. But I don't think people realize how good he is.

Q: How is rookie Jared Sullinger, the former Ohio State star, doing?

A: He's been good. He has been up and down, just like rookies. He's a high IQ player, a great kid to have on the team, high character. I think he's going to be a good player for a long, long time in our league.

Q: Did you see anything different in Paul Pierce's shot when he scored 40 on the Cavaliers last week?

A: No. Paul is the toughest guy to read. He never takes the same shot. He doesn't even have the same release point. No kid should watch that. It's amazing how he does it. Watch his free throws. He takes them at different angles. You never know when he's got it going because he's just tough to read. You could tell Ray's [Allen] right when it left his hands if it was good or it was flat. Paul, there's no read on it. It just goes in. It's nice when it goes in.

Q: Besides your nickname, what's the most important thing you got from former Marquette coach Rick Majerus, who died earlier this month?

A: There's a lot of things. Part of it is just stubbornness. He told me a lot about that coaching-wise, especially my first year. He'd tell me, "Hey, you're not going to be very good, but stick to what you're doing, stick to your guns. Everybody's going to tell you to do something different. Do what you want to do." I can't tell you how many times he told me that: "Hang in there and do your stuff." He pounded that into me. He's a very loyal guy. He had his friends. Sometimes he didn't let his friends around him. But he was extremely loyal. His thing with me was the fundamental part of the game. That's what he taught me. He always said, "You can't cheat the game."