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In the immediate aftermath of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ playoff ousting at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks, Doc Rivers was curiously stoic when given the opportunity to endorse struggling star Ben Simmons.
As relayed by The Athletic, when asked whether he thought Simmons could be the point guard for a championship team, Rivers deadpanned, “I don’t know the answer to that right now.”
Ouch.
With more time to reflect and gather his thoughts, Rivers was significantly more positive during exit interviews. At that point, he was focused on remedying Simmons’ shooting woes, hyping an offseason plan to bring the three-time All-Star to a new level offensively.
“I believe we know what the right work is, and the right type of work, and the right way to do it,” he said, via ESPN.
Nevertheless, questions about Simmons’ standing with the Sixers have persisted. And his name has been ceaselessly bandied about in trade chatter since the team was sent home.
In a just-released interview, Rivers was once again given the chance to offer his support for Simmons. Perhaps in an effort to quiet some of the noise surrounding the situation, the Sixers coach tendered what might have been his most enthusiastic endorsement of the floor general to date.
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Doc Rivers Wants Big Ben to Stay in Philly
While taking a stroll in Beverly Hills, Rivers was approached by TMZ Sports. In short order, the outlet probed him for his thoughts on Simmons’ shot, asking whether or not he thought it could be fixed.
Although he didn’t comment on Simmons’ shooting initially, he made a point to let the world know that he holds the Aussie in high esteem. He also expressed his desire to see Simmons in a Sixers jersey going forward.
“Ben’s great,” Rivers told TMZ. “I want him back. He’s terrific. He’ll be great.”
When pressed for an answer on fixing Simmons’ shot, Rivers opined that the former No. 1 overall pick didn’t require a massive transformation.
“I think he doesn’t need a lot of fixing. He’s gonna be great for us. He’ll be great.”
After making a meager 61.3% of his foul shots during the regular season, Simmons connected on just 34.2% of his free throws during the playoffs. It was the lowest mark in league history for a player with as many attempts in a single postseason.
Rivers on What the Clippers Were Able to Accomplish
Before making the move to Philly, Rivers had spent seven seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. Noting his history with the club, TMZ asked him to comment on what the Clippers had been able to accomplish during postseason play at the time of the interview.
“I think it’s amazing,” he said. “With all the injuries, you know — Ty Lue has done an amazing job.”
Before Rivers made the move from SoCal to South Philly, he had compiled a 356-208 record with the Clippers. During the 2019-20 campaign, Lue served as the top assistant on Rivers’ staff.
On Wednesday, Lue’s Clippers were ousted in the Western Conference Finals by the Phoenix Suns.
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