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Doc Rivers Blames Self for Ray Allen Departure

Boston coach Doc Rivers said he ran Ray Allen out of town, to the Miami Heat. He did not intend to, but all the reasons Allen cited for leaving – point guard Rajon Rondo dominating the ball, wanting to be more a part of the offense – Rivers said go back to him.

“People can use all the Rondo stuff — and it was there, no doubt about that — but it was me more than Rondo,” Rivers told Yahoo! Sports at the London Olympics, where the coach is working as an NBC analyst. “I’m the guy who gave Rondo the ball. I’m the guy who decided that Rondo needed to be more of the leader of the team. That doesn’t mean guys liked that — and Ray did not love that — because Rondo now had the ball all the time.

“Think about everything (Allen) said when he left, ‘I want to be more of a part of the offense.’ Everything was back at Rondo. And I look at that, and say, ‘That’s not Rondo’s fault.’ That’s what I wanted Rondo to do, and that’s what Rondo should’ve done.”

Losing his starting spot to Avery Bradley did not make Allen feel all warm and fuzzy, either, Rivers said. Rivers turned down the Celtics’ two-year, $12 million offer and accepted half that from Miami – although he will not be a starter there, either.

“Ray’s got to do what’s best for Ray,” Rivers said. “But having said that, he’s not going to start in Miami. And I doubt he gets the ball more. But I do think, for a guy like Ray and Paul (Pierce) and Kevin (Garnett) and Kobe (Bryant), it’s easier to go somewhere and do that, than have it taken from you where you’re at.”

Rivers said he was “pissed” at the reasons Allen cited for leaving, but that he had no regrets about his decisions.

“I always tell my guys: If I’m wrong, hopefully I’m smart enough, or my staff, or one of you guys — because I do listen to you — will tell me that I’m wrong,” Rivers told Yahoo! Sports. “But not one player ever told me, ‘Hey, I don’t think you should start Avery.'”

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