Getty Head coach Doc Rivers of the Philadelphia 76ers.
The Philadelphia 76ers replaced Brett Brown with Doc Rivers in 2020 in part because of his status as a championship-winning coach and future Hall of Famer. But nearly three years into the Doc Rivers experience, the Sixers have yet to play basketball any later on the calendar than when Brown was on the sidelines.
And according to Ric Bucher of Fox Sports, Rivers’ leash is tight. In talking with his NBA sources, Bucher noted that the Sixers are the only team in the Eastern Conference whose playoff window might be closed after this season.
Much of that has to do with expected changes in personnel should the Sixers leave the playoffs early once more.
“The Western Conference scout anticipates the Sixers saying goodbye to both (James) Harden and Rivers if they have another disappointing postseason,” Bucher wrote.
“The 76ers are on trial,” Bucher’s source informed him. “A poor playoff performance dooms (head coach) Doc Rivers. A new coach will need time to forge a relationship with [Joel] Embiid, a mercurial MVP candidate who is not easy to coach. James Harden is a prickly issue. It may be time to move on. Size and depth are current and future issues. And the GM (Daryl Morey) is more master self-promoter than genius.”
As the source noted, it’s not just Rivers whose Philly future rides on the playoffs, which begins against the Brooklyn Nets next week.
76ers Front Office Split on James Harden: Sources
Add Harden to the mix of Sixers whose future is playoffs-dependent. On Christmas day, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Harden’s interest in returning to the Houston Rockets, the organization that helped mold the player into an MVP.
Since then, the whispers linking Harden and Houston have only grown louder.
And according to one Eastern Conference executive that spoke with Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney some in Philly’s front office wouldn’t be too bent out of shape if Harden departed.
“There are some in that organization who would not mind at all if Harden left,” the GM told Deveney. “I don’t think he will, but he could, and even if he doesn’t, he is not going to get a real long deal from the Sixers. He is getting older, you don’t know how much of a commitment you want to make him.”
Harden is at a crossroads in his career. On one hand, the 33-year-old is likely playing for his final major contract. On the other, he’s almost certainly ring-chasing, with a championship win the only thing lacking from his trophy case.
Rockets Eyeing Coaching Change for James Harden
The Sixers figure to have some competition in landing Harden’s signature, assuming he opts out of his team-friendly deal next year.
The Rockets, for instance, are already making moves potentially to attract Harden back to Space City, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.
“Harden has loomed as a key target for the Rockets, sources told Yahoo Sports, with an opportunity to decline his player option with the Philadelphia 76ers for the 2023-24 campaign. And several potential coaching candidates — in addition to (Nick) Nurse — whom league personnel have connected to the Rockets have a shared history with Harden,” Fischer reported.
If Harden left town, it would open up significant salary for Philadelphia. But is Joel Embiid willing to wait another year if the Sixers flame out early? Only time will tell.