Apr 15, 2012; Seattle, WA, USA; NBA hall of famer Bill Russell walks off the field after throwing out the first pitch prior to the game between the Seattle Mariners and the Oakland Athletics at Safeco Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-US PRESSWIRE

“What Miami is doing is similar to a theory that Red [Auerbach, the legendary Celtics coach] used to have,” Russell said. “You have a core group and you bring in some veterans so you don’t have rookies coming off the bench. Most of the time it worked but sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes, we would bring a veteran in hoping to get one more year out of them but they were psychologically destructive, so we can only use them one year. They were not about winning. They were about their career.”

-Bill Russell

-Via RealGM Wiretap

So, apparently Celtics legend Bill Russell approves of the actions of Heat GM Pat Riley.  Riley has strategically added some nice pieces in Rashard Lewis, Shane Battier, Ray Allen.

Hasn’t Ainge done the same?  Danny Ainge added Jason Terry and Courtney Lee, both veterans that can help the C’s squad.  Why didn’t Russell praise the GM of his former team?

Granted, the Heat just won a championship, but that only makes it easier to field talent, as veterans come to chase rings on the assumption that the Heat will repeat.

Still, the Celtics won in 2008, and still have the strong core from that team (Namely, Rajon Rondo/Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett).  Shouldn’t that make it easier to lure ring chasers?  Or are the Celtics too far removed from the last championship?

Either way, I’m not finding fault with Russell’s praise of Riley.  It’s just curious that he doesn’t praise Ainge for the same course of actions.  I’m not implicating any disdain on Russell’s part of Ainge, so don’t misunderstand.  I just think what Riley has done has been pretty easy, in the sense that players already wanted to come play for the Heat.  It’s not like signing the veterans he signed was any brilliant decision…

Rashard Lewis may back-fire.  But then again, when you sign a guy to a min vet contract it’s a pretty low risk investment, needless to say.

Russell’s praise isn’t misplaced, it just seems a bit random to give so much credit to a plan that any GM could (and would) have employed.

The life of an NBA coach is one full of little praise and much stress. Players recieve most of the credit when things go well, and coaches are the first to be blamed for losses. It’s easy to criticize and question coaching decisions as hindsight is 20/20. It was not long ago that the media and fans were calling for Doc Rivers to be fired.

Where would the Celtics be now without Rivers though? Where would the Celtics be without some of the great coaches they have had throughout the decades? That is why it’s important to take some time and recongnize those coaches who have led the Celtics to glory, and are responsible for the 17 banners hanging from the rafters. Here are the top five coaches in Boston Celtics’ history.

5. Bill Russell

Russell is a bit of an enigma from a coaching standpoint since he was a player-coach. Russell won two championships in his time as a player-coach and more importantly, he broke a color barrier when he became the first African-American coach in NBA history. Russell had a .661 winning percentage in the regular season and .608 in the playoffs. The man just knew how to win, and as a result is also one of the greatest players in NBA history too.

4. Doc Rivers

Rivers’ strongest attribute may be his longevity. He has coached the third most games in Celtics’ history with 574 and will surely finish at least second on the list before he is done. He ended a 22-year championship drought in 2008, and since having the proper players, he’s made the Celtics a serious contender every year. Rivers should also be commended for his commitment to the Celtics’ organization. He figures to be the leader for years to come and should ascend up the list of Celtics’ mystique.

3. K.C. Jones

Jones only coached the Celtics for five years but was mighty effective, bringing home two championships. Jones did have Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish but it’s been seen before, managing stars’ personalities is not easy. Jones had a staggering .751 regular season winning percentage with the Celtics, the highest mark in Boston history. For his entire career, Jones ranks fourth all-time in NBA history with a .674 regular season win percentage. He also has the second most playoff wins by a Celtics’ coach.

2. Tommy Heinsohn 

The man bleeds green. He played nine years with the Celtics, coached nine years for them, and has been broadcasting games with Mike Gorman since 1981. He was the 1972-73 NBA Coach of the Year, and led the Celtics to two titles. Heinsohn was all about forcing the tempo and getting out in transition. His teams were fast paced and fun to watch, and his 690 games coached for the Celtics puts him only behind…

1. Red Auerbach

There was never any competition for this spot. For an organization with numerous legends, he tops them all. He ammassed nine NBA championships, including eight straight. He sat at the helm of Boston’s bench for more than 1000 games and later transitioned into a front office position where he helped the Celtics win another seven titles. Unfortunately, Auerbach passed away the year before the Celtics won their latest title but his memory will forever live on in Celtics’ history, and his victory cigar smoke still lingers in the Garden.