Sixers podcast: Doc Rivers hire / new team vision / Redick sounds off

The Philadelphia 76ers have a new coach, and the course of the Sixers’ future is on a new track. The podcast explores the many possibilities that the Doc Rivers hiring presents for the 76ers organization.

In this week’s episode of The Sixer Sense Podcast, Lucas Johnson and Christopher Kline cover all aspects of the recent hiring of Glenn “Doc” Rivers. With all of the speculation about who the Sixers would bring in to take Brett Brown’s place, the news of a new coach in Philadelphia quickly raised many eyebrows.

The pod starts with reasons why the Sixers ownership made such a swift move to secure Doc Rivers as the new coach. His resume is brought up, as well as the traits that propelled him ahead of his coaching competition. His record of dealing with the dynamics of star players is debated, and Doc Rivers’ ability to connect with previous teams becomes a notable point.

From there, Lucas and Chris explore the moves that Doc Rivers will most likely make to improve the Sixers. They then talk about how his system will fit the current roster. They also touch on the biggest obstacle that Rivers will face in his first year as head coach.

Next, the conversation shifts towards how players and fans should feel about the addition of Doc Rivers. Chris expresses his discontent but is confronted with the idea of Clippers “Lob City” being reinvented in Philly to help him acquiesce to the new hire of Doc Rivers.

As the discussion resumes, the concept of trading either of the Sixers’ stars, Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, comes to light. Chris and Lucas share their opinions about the likelihood of the two cornerstone players being moved in the offseason since Doc Rivers has taken the helm of the Sixers’ ship.

In addition to the potential trade talk, they elaborate on which Sixer — Tobias Harris or Al Horford — is more likely to be exchanged for a player who would be a better fit for the new system. Lastly, in the realm of roster changes, talk revolves around the possibility of the Sixers trading for Chris Paul, Buddy Hield, or Jrue Holiday.

The final piece of the pod covers the recent controversy surrounding former Sixers. Most notably, J.J. Redick expressed his opinion about how the Sixers dropped the ball by not bringing him back this season. Somehow, Lucas was able to incorporate an infamous Key and Peele skit into the defense of his argument, which brings an unexpected chuckle. The final topic goes into the report that Jimmy Butler was skeptical about Ben Simmons’ work ethic, which could have helped dissuade Butler’s decision to return to Philly.

Before the pod concludes, Uriah calls out Chris for coddling Ben Simmons, and things get a little heated. Listen to see where they both go with their stances.

Thanks for listening to our Sixers discussion this week. Please subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Google Play to catch any and all future conversations about the Philadelphia 76ers.