In a column on why Doc Rivers and not his former assistant Tom Thibodeau deserves Coach of the Year honors, Bill Simmons describes some of the issues Rivers had to deal with this year, including constant trade rumors. The Sports Guy writes one of the Big Three, Paul Pierce, came closest to leaving.

"They DID explore trading the Big 3, with [Paul] Pierce coming the closest to leaving (to New Jersey for a cheaper version of what the Nets ended up paying in their incomprehensible Gerald Wallace trade)," writes Simmons. No further details on what the proposed trade would have looked like or why it failed to materialize.

• Simmons on Coach of the Year - ESPN Boston