Getty Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers during a game in May.
Warning: This article contains a video that features strong language that viewers may find offensive.
In the immediate aftermath of the Philadelphia 76ers‘ stunning Game Seven loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Sunday night, enigmatic point guard Ben Simmons has been the de facto scapegoat for Philly. When NBA fans look at the larger picture over the last decade-plus though and see Sixers’ head coach Doc Rivers’ postseason track record, some are pointing the finger at the man at the helm for the team’s upset defeat to the Hawks.
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One former NBA player went to extreme lengths after the game Sunday to express his feelings towards Rivers and it’s fairly obvious that he is no fan of the 59-year-old coach.
Josh Smith: ‘ESPN, Get on [Rivers’] A**!’
GettyHouston Rockets forward Josh Smith during a game vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016.
Josh Smith, who spent the first nine seasons of his 13-year NBA career with the Hawks, went to Instagram Live Sunday night following his former team’s victory over Philadelphia and made it clear that he is not a believer in Rivers as a head coach. Following his days with the Hawks from 2004 through 2013, Smith played parts of two seasons apiece with the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets, as well as 32 games under Rivers with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Smith closed his NBA career with just three games played with the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2017-2018 campaign.
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING VIDEO CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE THAT VIEWERS MAY FIND OFFENSIVE.
2 minutes of Josh Smith going off on Doc Rivers.
The former Atlanta Hawk scored 14 4th quarter PTS in the Rockets memorable GM6 comeback win vs the Clippers in 2015. He then played half a season for Doc before getting traded back to the Rockets.
As Smith alluded to, things have gone from bad to worse for Rivers this postseason, given the fact that his former team in the Clippers – with most of the same players as last season – are currently playing in their first Western Conference Finals. Even with a healthy Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in the bubble a season ago, Rivers’ squad blew a 3-1 series lead to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Semifinals.
Now, under first year head coach Tyronn Lue and with Leonard on the bench, the Clippers are battling the Phoenix Suns to make their first NBA Finals appearance.
Rivers ‘Has Repeatedly Blown Big Leads as a Head Coach in This League’
GettyPhiladelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers during a game against the Atlanta Hawks.
One sports commentator who seems to be in complete agreement with Smith is Fox Sports 1’s Skip Bayless. The television personality laid into Rivers’ coaching history on Monday’s edition of Undisputed.
“You cannot shift all the blame to Ben Simmons. Doc Rivers has repeatedly blown big leads as a head coach in this league. Is he without blame? You cannot throw Ben Simmons under that bus.”
Rivers signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the 76ers last off-season, so, despite the rough ending to his first season in Philly, it would be a surprise not to see him on the bench for year two.
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