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This Danny Ainge interview is telling in that it shows just how much Doc truly believed in his team (not just lip service).
Doc Rivers almost expected this team to turn it around after a rough start. What did you think of that? "Well I think that is the beauty of Doc in that when we got off to the bad start this year we were really struggling. He maintained to me privately not just publicly like you sort of have to do to have the players believe, but privately to me he said, ‘I like these guys. I like this team. We are going to get there. They have been working hard. We’re not in great shape. We’re not executing. The new guys are struggling a little bit with their stuff and Paul [Pierce] was hurt.’ I think he was convinced and he convinced me that he likes this group of guys and we are going to be alright."
It isn't mentioned straight out, but you have to wonder just how much of that faith that Doc had in the team led to Danny Ainge standing pat at the deadline. Sure, he had some deals on the table that didn't work out, but I'm sure there were several more low-ball type offers, and maybe some in between offers that he might have taken had this coach not pulled him aside. Maybe this is being melodramatic, but it is very possible that Doc Rivers saved the season.