The Philadelphia 76ers wasted no time in finding their new head coach. Reportedly, Doc Rivers was in Philadelphia last night, meeting with Sixers brass. Approximately 24 hours later, a deal is in place that will make Rivers the next head coach of the Sixers, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
Doc Rivers Hired as Philadelphia 76ers Head Coach
Rivers mutually agreed to part ways with the Los Angeles Clippers just three days ago. Immediately, he was met with interest from the Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, and New Orleans Pelicans to name a few. The Sixers were the first team to reach out and schedule a meeting which shows there was some clear mutual interest.
Since Brett Brown was relieved of his duties, it appeared the favorite to land the Sixers job was Mike D’Antoni, but that changed quickly when Rivers became available. Rivers has coached over 1,600 games in his career and racked up nearly 1,000 wins. Clearly, he is one of the better coaches in NBA history.
Philadelphia 76ers Future
Rivers takes over a team with a ton of talent. The issue with the Sixers is they have yet to reach the mountain top, losing early in playoffs every year. Unfortunately, there have been heartbreaks including a first-round loss to the Boston Celtics this year.
Importantly, Rivers has won everywhere he has been. Most recently, he resurrected the Los Angeles Clippers and made them into a free-agent destination and perennial power as he hoped. Previously, he won a championship with the first “Big 3” and the Boston Celtics. Obviously, Rivers’ experience will be crucial in dealing with the talent and big personalities on the Sixers.
To fully complete “The Process,” the Sixers will need to compete for a title. Rivers gets them that much closer. However, there is still plenty of work to be done like adding shooters, but the core is in place.
Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons
Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons should be happy with this addition. Thinking back on Rivers’ teams, he has always gotten the most out of his forwards like Blake Griffin or Kevin Garnett. He also has coached crafty point guards like Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo. Clearly, the skillset of Simmons and Embiid fits perfectly into those molds and we should expect their games to take major steps forward in the coming seasons. This is a positive move for the Sixers.
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