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Doc Rivers has already come out and said he isn’t interested in pursuing the vacant head-coaching job with the Los Angeles Lakers. He’s too focused on guiding the Philadelphia 76ers to their first world championship since 1983. That argument carries extra weight now that the Eastern Conference semifinals are tied up at 2-2.
But Rivers’ name keeps popping up in reports linking him to Hollywood, a place he called home for seven seasons while coaching the Clippers. Marc Stein cited sources saying that “some around the league” think Rivers has to take the Sixers at least to the Eastern Conference Finals to keep his job. He’s currently two wins away from achieving that goal.
The sticking point in a potential Rivers’ exit might be his contract. He has three years and $24 million remaining on the five-year, $40 million deal he inked in 2020. If the Sixers fired him, they would be on the hook for the remaining balance for the third-highest paid coach in the NBA.
Mike D’Antoni would be the most logical choice to replace Rivers — especially when weighing his connections to Daryl Morey — but would it really be that much of an upgrade? Probably not. He went 678-533 in 15 NBA seasons, including a losing record in the postseason (55-56) while never advancing to the NBA Finals. Meanwhile, Rivers ranks No. 4 in all-time playoff wins (104) and No. 9 all-time in regular-season wins (1,043). Jay Wright? Now that’s an interesting idea.
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Sixers Should Absolutely Keep Rivers
Looking at coaching records alone, there is absolutely no reason for the Sixers to fire Rivers. He is one year removed from leading them to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and the fact Philly was able to win 51 games this season and play meaningful basketball in May is pretty remarkable.
The scourge of the Ben Simmons’ saga would have ended a lesser coach, even if Rivers played a minor role in sharpening that torturous weapon. You could argue he deserves Coach of the Year consideration.
Or maybe the DeAndre Jordan minutes have negated that goodwill. Either way, the Sixers are likely to bring Rivers back for two simple reasons: he’s under contract, and his players like him. Why upset the apple cart?
The Athletic’s Joe Vardon arrived at the same conclusion, adding that Rivers has turned Tyrese Maxey into a “budding star” while navigating the Simmons’ drama and incorporating James Harden into the offense. And Joel Embiid openly lobbied for him back in 2020 when the choice was between Rivers and Tyronn Lue.
“Then there is Embiid, a five-time All-Star whose two best seasons as a pro have come with Rivers as his coach,” wrote Vardon. “Embiid is the present and future of the Sixers. He’s under contract through 2027. And it was Embiid who preferred Rivers over Tyronn Lue, an early favorite to land in Philadelphia before the Sixers ultimately hired Doc.”
Rivers Ready to Have ‘Fun’ in Miami
The Sixers enjoyed one of their best shooting nights of the playoffs on Sunday night: 54.4% from the field (37-for-68) and 48.5% from the 3-point line (16-for-33). Those stats brought a huge smile to Rivers’ face after the team’s 116-108 win in Game 4. The biggest improvement was the effort from the Sixers’ bench and role players who finally got going after two tough road games.
“The shooting is going to be key,” Rivers told reporters before heading to Miami for Game 5. “It’s long been said that the role players do better at home, right? And you could make a case for both teams, right? There were threes that they didn’t make tonight [in Game 4], they had some looks. It almost feels like I felt after two games in Miami so Game 5 is going to be a lot of fun.”
Danny Green has seen the largest leap in production as he’s gone 10-for-13 from deep since leaving Miami. Tyrese Maxey and James Harden have also taken their games to another level, plus the return of Joel Embiid has sparked the entire squad.
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