Getty Head coach Doc Rivers of the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half of the NBA game at Footprint Center on March 27, 2022.
Since the Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated from the postseason by the Miami Heat, head coach Doc Rivers has been a common topic of conversation. While many fans were calling for him to be fired after another playoff run falling short, the organization has made it clear they have no intentions of getting rid of him.
While most have been negatively speaking about Rivers, one national analyst set the record straight. On his show “The Herd,” FS1’s Colin Cowherd set the record straight regarding the future Hall of Fame head coach. To him, the narrative around Rivers doesn’t match the numbers.
“I’ve always kind of laughed and rolled my eyes at the Doc narrative. Doc has a 59% career winning percentage, that’s the same as Erik Spoelstra, and Quinn Synder who everyone wanted to be the new Laker coach. By the way, in the last decade, Doc’s winning percentage, in the west overwhelmingly, is 62%.”
Doc Rivers did More With Less
In the NBA, superstar talent is essential for teams looking to win a championship. When Doc Rivers coached the Boston Celtics to a title back in 2008, he had four future Hall of Famers in his starting lineup.
Outside of that Boston team, the other group that instantly comes to mind when thinking of Rivers is the “lob city” Clippers. Led by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, they were a high-flying team that was must-watch television on a nightly basis.
Those Clippers have a never-ending highlight reel but became notorious for falling short in the postseason. These shortcomings fell on Doc Rivers and his narrative, but Cowherd argues they were viewed in the wrong light.
“People always confused that Clipper team as a great team. No, it was fun to watch. Chris Paul couldn’t hit a three, Blake couldn’t shoot, and DeAndre Jordan couldn’t. They didn’t have enough shooters as the league was increasingly becoming a shooter’s league. Golden State suddenly had them all. So, in the end, he’s never had a LeBron, and he didn’t have the shooters, but the Clippers were really fun to watch… Doc has their highest winning percentage of all time.”
Cowherd Wants Doc Rivers to be Lakers’ Next Head Coach
Part of why Doc Rivers has been discussed so much in recent weeks is because of the coaching vacancy in LA. Even before the Sixers were eliminated, Rivers’ name popped up in rumors as the potential replacement for Frank Vogel.
Countless reports have stated the Sixers have no plans of firing or trading their coach, but the Lakers remain hopeful and securing Rivers to fill their coaching vacancy. As of now, Cowherd feels he is the perfect fit to coach the league’s most prestigious franchise.
“Doc to me is the best fit with the Lakers. Doesn’t mean Philadelphia wants to let him go, but man, he’s won a title, he played in the game, he has the ability to kind of navigate the stars. And this Lakers team is an old roster, it’s an odd roster, there’s some egos here, and I think he and LeBron would work together.”
Even with the Sixers coming up short in the playoffs, Doc Rivers has produced positive results in his two years as head coach. Between what he’s done for the team’s culture and the play of MVP runner-up Joel Embiid, they should be in no rush to move him just yet.