A different viewpoint

NCAA tourney offers opportunity for coaches

While he didn't enjoy Georgetown's recent loss to Davidson, Celtics coach Doc Rivers did enjoy sitting next to Heat president/coach Pat Riley during the recent NCAA Tournament game in Raleigh, N.C.

Riley noted during that game that while he was there scouting caused a big stir, Rivers being there to watch his son, Jeremiah, play for Georgetown caused no concern.

"I thought it was pretty cool that we got to sit there and watch a college game," Rivers said yesterday. "He says, 'I can't believe you're here and nobody said nothing about it.' And I said, 'Well, the difference is we [Celtics] are not playing right now.' "

Riley has been criticized for taking games off from coaching to scout college talent. He missed the Celtics' 88-62 win over the Heat at TD Banknorth Garden last night, the fourth game he's missed this season to watch the NCAA Tournament. Still, Rivers didn't see any problem with the move.

"He's the GM, president, and the coach," Rivers said. "They are going to have a 1 through 5 pick. And it's got to be the right pick. I understand it. I really do. It was probably tough for him to make that call.

"Let's put it this way, next year if they made the perfect pick no one is going to question it. And if they make a bad pick? You know how it works."

Veteran assistant Ron Rothstein coached the Heat, and he took questions about the Riley situation in stride.

"I'm trying to do it the best I can," he said. "There is not a whole lot to say. It's pretty straightforward. If you're a professional in the NBA, your job is to be a professional. No one can really take your professionalism from you if you choose not to give it up. We'll try to do the best possible job we can."

Heat swingman Ricky Davis, an ex-Celtic, said he understood why Riley has been off scouting but said it has affected the team.

"It's tough," he said. "It's just like everybody else hurting and everybody else leaving. From game to game I don't know who's coaching. I don't know if it's Rothstein. I don't know if it's Riles. I'm just trying to make it through."

Wait a minute

Paul Pierce is the only Celtic to play in every game this season and said he would be open to taking some time off before the playoffs if Rivers wanted him to. Rivers, however, said, "I'm going to play them and try to keep a rhythm. I'm going to shorten minutes. That's injury prevention more than rest." . . . James Posey, who won an NBA title with Miami in 2006, didn't have a lot to say about the recent verbal feud between Riley and former Heat star Shaquille O'Neal. "That's between them," Posey said. When Davis was asked about O'Neal saying it hurt his play to have to be on the floor with Davis and Chris Quinn while with Miami, Davis said he thought O'Neal was a "good guy" and that he was a little bit surprised by the comments.

Not one for the 3

Guard Rajon Rondo recently said one thing Hornets guard Chris Paul has dramatically improved on this season is his 3-point shooting. Although Rondo isn't considered a 3-point threat now, he also isn't worried about becoming one. "That's why we have Ray [ Allen] on the team," Rondo said. "As long as he can make it, I'm cool. I just want to get in my range, the 17-, 15-footer, and continue to knock those shots down. I don't really practice threes. I shoot them every once in a while if the shot clock is going down. It's not a focus of mine." . . . Pierce said before the Kansas-Davidson game that it shouldn't count if the Jayhawks won by fewer than 20. The top-seed Jayhawks defeated 10th-seeded Davidson, 59-57. After the Celtics' victory, Pierce said about the Kansas game, "I heard we won the game. I'm not going to give y'all no more material about Kansas."

Marc J. Spears can be reached at mspears@globe.com

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