The Sixers might have a new candidate in their search for a head coach.
The NBA world was caught by surprise on Monday afternoon when the LA Clippers fired head coach Doc Rivers. After LA’s blown 3-1 lead in the conference semifinals, highlighted by clear fissures in the locker room, it’s apparent the Clippers’ situation was no longer tenable with Rivers in charge.
Few coaches command the respect Rivers does at every level. Players love him, coaches love him, and the media loves him. He’s exceedingly likable, he’s one of the most accomplished coaches in the league, and he has coached his share of superstar players across 21 years as a head coach.
The Sixers, per Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated, have already reached out to Rivers about their vacancy at head coach. Rivers would join Mike D’Antoni and Tyronn Lue as the publicly considered candidates. While the overwhelming favorite is still D’Antoni, Rivers’ departure from LA was unexpected. And it’s still too early to discount Lue entirely.
Some have already advocated for Rivers. I’m more skeptical — he’s leaving Los Angeles for a reason — but again, Rivers’ reputation speaks for itself. He will have interest for as long as he wants to coach.
Rivers struggled on the sidelines in LA’s postseason collapse. He refused to adjust defensively despite Nikola Jokic’s constant success against double teams. He stuck unabashedly with Montrezl Harrell and Lou Williams despite Denver constantly exploiting them. And he failed to generate the necessary momentum on offense, though he was in no way helped by the Clippers’ underperforming stars.
While Rivers is a tremendous leader in the locker room, it is fair to question his aptitude in the X’s and O’s department. He’s not a bad coach, but he has now blown 3-1 leads in three separate decades. This is not new for him. Rivers’ stubbornness and inability to change on the fly are problematic — the very same criticism that chased Brett Brown out of South Philly.
Rivers probably raises Philadelphia’s floor. But similar to Brown, it’s imperative to interrogate whether or not he can raise their ceiling. While there’s less certainty in a Mike D’Antoni or Ty Lue hire, I’d argue that both have much higher ceilings than Rivers.
The Sixers need to make a choice sooner than later. The NBA Draft and free agency are just around the corner. Rivers is undoubtedly a name to watch — if he wants the Philadelphia job, you can expect Sixers ownership to consider him.