Doc on D&C: Don't expect trades

Celtics coach Doc Rivers made his weekly appearance on the Dennis & Callahan show Wednesday morning. Asked about the Celtics' reputation as trash-talkers — three Celtics ranked in the top four of a recent Sports Illustrated players poll about the league's top yappers — Rivers said he once tried to limit the talk but learned the hard way that it negatively affected the team's play, so he allows it. "It's who we are, and I'm not going to try to change it," Rivers said. "It's part of their DNA."

Rivers defended Kevin Garnett, who landed at No. 1 in the trash-talking poll (with Rasheed Wallace and Paul Pierce not far behind). "The thing with Kevin is, Kevin talks the whole game — to himself, us, to his teammates and to the other team," Rivers said. "So, I don't know where and who he's talking to. And I don't think the other team does as well." Added Rivers: "I don't really think Kevin is a trash-talker. Of the three, I would say Kevin is a talker. You know: 'Get that stuff out of here.' I don't even consider that trash-talk any more. He yells more at the atmosphere, let's say. I mean: 'We're going to win,' 'We're playing hard.' Stuff like that. It's not really directed at anyone. ... The great teams don't pay any attention to it, because they do it themselves."

Rivers said he doubted the Celtics would make a trade in the immediate future. "I don't think so. I really don't," he said. "I've heard some silly talk of late, over the last two or three days, about trades we've been discussing. ... Obviously, if we can improve our team, we're going to. But do I think there's a trade out there that we can pull off? I don't. And I don't think we mind if we don't."

On the topic of Trail Blazers center Greg Oden's nude cellphone picture, Rivers said he immediately thought of former Atlanta Hawks teammate Kevin Willis as the player most likely to commit a similar transgression if the technology existed 20 years ago. "That's Kevin right there. He would do that," Rivers said. "And Dominique [Wilkins], maybe." Rivers was asked about the craziest players he's played with or against. Said Rivers: "Well, Chris Washburn, I don't know if he was crazy, I think it was more of the drugs. I don't know if you remember Sly Williams, he was pretty wild at the time that we had him. I would have to nominate him up there. And then that entire Knick team which I loved playing for. I don't know if they were crazy or tough, but when you have Anthony Mason, John Starks, Charles Oakley, Greg Anthony, Anthony Bonner on the same team, you've got a pretty nutty basketball team."

To hear the interview, click on the Dennis & Callahan audio on demand page. Visit the Green Street blog for a transcript.