BOSTON - Doc Rivers joked prior to Sunday's game that he still keeps in touch with many within the Celtics organization, but not many of the players - because there aren't many of his guys left.
There are a few - Jared Sullinger, Avery Bradley, Brandon Bass - but the remainder have been either traded away or not re-signed since Rivers himself was "traded" to the Clippers.
The latest two? Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green. Both players are now Rivers' competition out west on the Mavericks and Grizzlies, respectively.
So is Rivers surprised that neither Rondo or Green were part of the Celtics long-term rebuilding plans? He's not sure exactly, but did say that he felt Rondo's departure was "probably more his decision than Danny [Ainge's] and the Celtics staff."
There was always some doubt surrounding whether or not Rondo would re-sign with the Celtics at the end of the season when his deal was up. The word was that Rondo wanted a max contract, and that Boston was not interested in ponying up all the money for the offensively-challenged point guard. Would Rondo simply take the most money elsewhere and leave the Celtics high and dry? It was a risk Ainge clearly wasn't willing to take while trying to rebuild his team. Rivers understands that.
"I just think you get a feel for whether [Rondo] wanted to play it out or not," Rivers said. "And when you're rebuilding you can't take that gamble of letting an asset out of the door and letting him become a free agent. Especially in the rebuilding time. If you're a championship team you can take that gamble because you think he'll come back. If you're a rebuilding team you literally cannot take the gamble of waiting to see and getting caught. I think in their case it was almost they had to do it."
Rondo hasn't exactly fit in seamlessly in Dallas, either. They've struggled to win games the way some thought they might after adding the All-Star guard, and Rondo's spats with head coach Rick Carlisle have been front and center.
There was also a report from ESPN that Rondo and the Mavericks would part ways at the end of the season, a failed marriage that didn't even last through the honeymoon stage.
Rondo commands a lot from the team he's on. He has a certain playing style that is unique to him, and that can put his teams in tough spots sometimes. But with the right system and players around him, you can see his worth.
"He's a throwback, old school point guard so the better players he has around him," Rivers said of Rondo. "He's also a right-fit point guard. If you've got the right fit when he's running the stuff, he's going to be effective. He's a magician with the ball, so when he has the ball in his hands, good things happen."
Rivers found ways to make it work with Rondo on and off the court, the latter of which seemed to be difficult at times. Now with the Clippers, he coaches another All-Star point guard in Chris Paul - arguably the best point guard in the NBA. Does that relationship have its ups and down, much like his with Rondo? Sure. But that's the NBA.
"It's different but it's the same," Rivers said of his relationship with the two guards at the time of coaching them. "Point guards, they love the coach most of the time and sometimes you have your little things. But I think that will never end. I think that's how it has to be, I really do. That has to be your communication line every night. With Chris, he's great. But that doesn't mean he enjoys it every night."