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The Philadelphia 76ers picked up their first win of the season on Monday, defeating the Victor Wembanyama-eyed Indiana Pacers 120-106. It was a much-needed result after the Sixers slumped out to three straight losses against the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, and San Antonio Spurs to start the season.
And between that San Antonio game and the Sixers’ eventual win against the Pacers, the team’s principal owner Josh Harris opened up about the team’s slow start. At the Business of US Sport Summit, Harris warned against ringing the alarm bells too loudly, though he acknowledged that was “disappointed” in the start.
“We’re all in on the season, I think we have a lot of talent and we’re together as an organization.. this is our year,” Harris said. “Games four through 82 await us.”
Fortunately, the Sixers made good on Harris’ admonishment to be patient. In doing so, Harris actually invoked another Philadelphia team to prove his point.
Did Josh Harris Hint At Doc Rivers’ Replacement?
At the Summit, Harris drew a comparison between this Sixers team to another one in the City of Brotherly Love.
“Obviously we are very disappointed with our start. There are lots of examples, including one in Philly called the Phillies where people have started a little slow and have come back.”
That’s not the best news for Sixers head coach Doc Rivers. After all, the Phillies got off to a mediocre start to the season, going 22-29 over their first 51 games. At that point, the Phillies decided to shake things up, replacing then-manager Joe Girardi with interim Rob Thomson. And now, the Phillies are in their first World Series in over ten years, riding momentum behind the steady hand of Rob Thomson.
In Harris’ scenario, Sixers skipper Doc Rivers would Joe Girardi, with someone like Sam Cassell or Dave Joerger reprising the role of Rob Thomson.
So while Harris might put fans’ fears at ease, it should come as a slight scare to Rivers, whose game-planning has left much to be desired through the first four games of the season.
League ‘Chatters’ Going on About Rivers’ Future in Philadelphia
According to NBA insider Zach Lowe, there is some speculation in league circles about Doc Rivers’ future in Philadelphia.
“Doc Rivers, Bill Simmons has been saying for weeks on his podcast Doc could be the first coach fired. Certainly, people are chattering about that in the league ecosystem, but I don’t know how much that chatter is actually reality and this is Daryl Morey’s team,” Lowe said on his podcast The Lowe Post.
After the Sixers lost to the lowly Spurs, Rivers faced significant criticism for his lineup choices, the team’s atrocious defense, and molasses-like pace. As it stands, the Sixers are last in the league in pace, 22nd in defensive rating, and have a negative net rating.
Even worse, Rivers is keeping the starting five out for nearly 40 minutes per night. Part of that is because the bench unit looks no better after a summer of additions. But after a while, those minutes will take a toll on the starters like PJ Tucker, Tobias Harris, and James Harden, who are both on the other side of 30.
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